Into Thin Air: The Forty-Second Hunger Games
by LadyCordeliaStuart
Summary: I think you all know by now. SYOT Closed
1. One Reaping

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I realized from the reviews I wrote Onyx's POV too ambiguously. Onyx didn't kill the baby. He refused and that's what got him blacklisted.**

* * *

Onyx Soul

Most Reaped children worry about the idea of killing people. That was nothing new to me, because I was an assassin. Not some invincible, super cool ninja like in the movies. A very mortal, very imperfect assassin like in real life. Of course a place like Panem would have assassins. There was always more than one person who wanted to be in power. I wasn't surprised I was going into the Games. I was just surprised at how easy it was to rig.

There was a letter from my parents in my hand, given to me by a spooky man in a spooky hood who would have spooked anyone but me. I just thought he looked bombastic. My parents were dead. I didn't kill them. They were too strong for me to kill. They just weren't too strong for the people who made us to kill.

I was in my quarters underground, a week before the Reaping. I already knew who it was going to be, though. I wondered what it took to bribe someone who already lived in One. What did it take to pay off the designated volunteer and secure his silence? We were a scary, shady bunch, but Careers weren't easy to scare.

 _"_ _A letter from traitors, sent to a traitor,"_ the man had said. He told me not to make a scene, because it would just make it worse. He didn't have to be insulting. I knew that. He told me not to open the letter until the right time. I'd open it later, in the Capitol. Not that there would be anything compromising in there. My parents were smarter than that.

Even if I'd made a scene, nothing would come of it. The Peacekeepers wouldn't believe my wild stories about an underground cabal of spies and assassins. It was the obvious development in a government like ours, but it still seemed like something from a cheap novel. After the 28thGames and what happened to Silken, it was _literally_ underground. We were dying out, like we should have long ago.

I wasn't scared of killing people, like most Tributes, but I was like them in other ways. I didn't _like_ killing people, just like my parents. That's what got me into this mess. My latest hit was a _baby._ That wasn't a hit. That was cartoonishly evil. It surprised even me, and it was just too much. I already had too many notches on my belt, and I'd probably add more in the Arena. I might even end up a notch on someone else's belt.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

"Smile, darling!"

I looked just above the camera, right at the sweet spot that would make my eyes look the biggest, and smiled wide. The camera clicked and the lights flashed. Another golden frame was in the bag. Cameramen and workers buzzed around, rearranging the flag behind me and draping the jewels that cascaded artfully from my outstretched hand.

I was more than a pretty face, but I _was_ a pretty face. Not that it mattered what I thought of myself (I thought I was pretty but no goddess). What mattered was what the Capitol thought, and they seemed to think I was all right. A talent scout took one look at my long legs and creamy skin and signed me up. It helped pay for the Academy and it got me contacts, so I went for it. One thing lead to another, and then there I was at the Faces of Panem ad campaign.

The story was that the brightest and best faces from every District were chosen to represent our country in a campaign selling everything from makeup to shoes. It was weird seeing the other representatives, since the Two boy and the Four girl were the only ones that didn't have Capitol accents. The Capitolite workers must have rubbed off on them.

 _Panem et Circenses._ Bread and circuses. That's what made Panem great. We had so much. There was excess everywhere. I'd seen it at home and I'd seen it in the Capitol. We had riches, glamour, glitz, and plenty. Anyone, from a Career in One to a farmer from Ten, could be the face of Panem. It was the greatest country in the world, and I loved it.

Modeling was a nice gig, but it wasn't my dream. That would be the Hunger Games. What I loved more than anything else was... Panem! And what Panem loved more than anything else was the Hunger Games. I did the modeling stuff as a means to an end. I wanted to win the Games, and to do that, you had to know people. Everyone in the Capitol knew about me. They knew me and they loved me. I was going to pay back Panem for all it did for me by winning the Games, and I had all the right people behind me.

I stretched out my neck and tilted my head down, gazing at the camera through thickly painted lashes. It always tickled me how quickly I changed after the cameras were gone. While I pouted and posed, I was already thinking about swords and spears waiting for me at the Academy. The Capitol had given me everything. Soon, I'd have the chance to do the same for them.

"That's a wrap!"

* * *

 **Onyx's story is really complicated, so I think it will take a few POVs before he gets easy to understand. I've never had a Tribute that so encapsulates the culture of One, so I focused on that for Rhoda, but she's stronger than she seems here. That will show up more in training.**


	2. Two Reaping

**I should also specify that Silken and Onyx's program was made by the Capitol. They deal with Capitol enemies.**

* * *

Jason Lenn

 _The Fortieth Games..._

My sister was the greatest fighter in the world. She'd been killing it in the Arena, just like I knew she would. I knew Angelo had poisoned the Careers' water, since the audience could see it all on camera, but I wasn't worried for her. She was smart enough to figure it out.

It was Theo that didn't catch on. I watched him spasm and die and that brought Valerie one step closer to victory. Not that she couldn't have killed him on her own. She jumped up and slew Angelo like the cur he was. I felt a quick surge of fear when Karyssa stabbed her in the back, but it wasn't over. It would take more than that to kill Valerie. Karyssa was about to find that out.

"No, please! I don't want to die! Please don't!"

 _What?_ What was she doing? It was a trick. It had to be a trick. But why was she scooting away with her hands in the air? She was scooting farther _away_ from her weapon. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Why was Valerie acting like that?

Valerie whimpered like a dog. She wailed and whined as Karyssa came toward her. When she wet her pants, I knew it was real. I was wrong about her. She died clawing at her punctured throat and wallowing in blood.

 _One year later..._

My sister was the biggest coward in the world. After what she did, I was kicked out of the Academy. My parents said we were both failures, even though I hadn't done anything. I heard what everyone else said about Valerie and it seared into me. I couldn't decide whether to miss her or hate her. Hating was easier. And they were right. She died like a coward and disgraced us all.

I wasn't the chosen volunteer, of course, but that didn't matter. I was going to volunteer anyway. What were they going to do, ostracise me? I had the training from before they kicked me out, and I remembered the things Valerie taught me before she went yellow. Since that, I'd been training myself with a knife. I'd also been learning how to climb, after Valerie's Arena.

I wasn't going to be like her. I was going to be _brave,_ something she obviously didn't understand. I was going to _fight_ and _win_ and never _ever_ let fear take over. I didn't need the Academy. I didn't need my parents. I didn't need a sister like her. I only needed myself. I was going to win this, all by myself.

* * *

Tuesday Erelle

The Games were the biggest mystery in Panem. Of all the millions of us who watched, only forty-two of us knew what they were like. They were the most secret, most unknowable, most agonizingly mysterious thing in the country. I had to know more.

I felt like a hypocrite training after what I did to Camilla. My sister was obsessed with the Games ever since she was little. I loved to study people, and of course I knew Camilla best of all. She was reckless, violent, cruel, and she had a deathwish. If she'd volunteered, she would have set a record for killing. But she wouldn't have won. No matter what she was, I loved her, and I didn't want to see her die. So I sabotaged her. It was easy enough for a casual student like me to determine which of her competitors had the most promise. I sabotaged only the fights Camilla had with Mulan Haines, Camilla's worthiest opponent. Time and time again the instructors saw Camilla lose to her because, unknown to them, I'd loosened her sword or bent an arrow fletching. So they picked Mulan. Not that it mattered last year, since it was a Resurrection Games.

I trained for probably the weirdest reason anyone in two ever had: I wanted to write an article. Not just any article, though. The coolest article in Panem history. I wanted to write an insider perspective on the Games. I wanted the people to know what it was really like. Most of the Victors were recluses, and the others were mostly Careers who told only about their own exploits. I wanted to give the people the nitty-gritty backscenes stories only a participant could know. I wanted to write about all my competitors as people, not just Tributes. That would be a better prize than all the riches and glory given to Victors.

The thing was, to write the article, I had to win. So I trained like a maniac and shoved aside the guilt when Camilla was overjoyed I got picked. It was a little surprising I got picked, since I had a bit of a weakness. I liked to be flashy. It would have been smart to learn archery and fight from afar, but morningstars and halberds just looked so _cool._ Or maybe it wasn't a weakness. The instructors didn't see how well I could fight in the Arena. They only saw how cool I looked practicing.

I practiced hard, but that wasn't the important part. I didn't care about killing people. I'd do it to keep myself and my article safe, but it was just a chore. The important part was meeting the other Tributes and finding out about them. I wanted to know their motivations and dreams- what made them tick. That would help me fight, of course, but it would also help make my article more genuine. I wasn't in it for the glory or killing. I was in it for a prize of my own making.


	3. Three Reaping

Gidget Ford

I had to keep it together. I couldn't cry. I had to think of Max and Connex. It was too late for me.

I couldn't believe they went through with it. I knew there was no mercy in Panem, but even Bubbles looked horrified when she saw who she'd named. I could barely get up on the stage, and it wasn't because I was scared. The Peacekeepers were gentle as they assisted me.

This had to be a first. Similar things had probably happened before, but I'd never seen a woman who looked like me in the Games. A woman who was slender everywhere except her round, bulging belly. They Reaped three from my District this year.

Connex looked broken when he came to see me. Max was holding his hand, and he kept asking his father why he was crying.

"He's crying because he'll miss me. I'm going to the Capitol for a while," I said. Connex hid his face against the wall while I distracted our son. Max jumped into what little remained of my lap.

"Why are you going?" he asked.

"They have better hospitals there. I'll have the baby there so she'll be safe," I said. Connex and I were hoping for a girl. We couldn't afford to check, of course, but we hoped saying it would make it happen. We should have said I wouldn't get Reaped.

"Did you have me in the Capitol?" Max asked.

"You were a stronger baby. I could tell," I said. Max looked disappointed that he hadn't been to the Capitol.

"Okay. Have fun and bring back presents," he said. I stood up and took Connex's hand, but he slid to the floor. I thought he was overcome with emotion, but he took something from his pocket.

"Before it's too late," he said through tears, "Marry me, Gidget." It was even worse that he had a ring in his trembling hand. He'd been planning this. It wasn't just because of what happened.

"Yes," was all I could say. Anything else and Max would be dealing with two crying parents. I took the ring and put it on.

"Yuck," Max said.

"When I come back, we'll have a big party. You can carry the ring," I said. Max didn't know what my pinched, high-pitched voice meant.

"But you're wearing it!" he said. Connex started to laugh even as he cried, and he ended up coughing. I hugged him as well as I could in my condition. Max was next. I waited until they were gone before I lost it.

* * *

Quintic "Quinn" Grice

I didn't feel so nervous around dogs. When I saw the stray terrier mutt on the way to the Reaping, I took a detour. He came over like we were old friends and I started to pet him. If I didn't get Reaped, maybe he'd follow me home. We couldn't afford to have a dog, but I could toss him scraps and he might stay around behind our house. Apex knelt beside me, and then the trouble began.

 _You're going to punch him in the nose._

It wasn't a voice in my head telling me to hit my twin brother. It was a warning- an accusation. I'd never once raised a hand to my brother, but I was always afraid. Even as I pet the little dog, I could see how it would happen. Snippets played over and over in my head. My fist would crush his nose, spraying blood everywhere. He'd fall on his side and I'd see the confused hurt in his eyes. I'd hit him. I'd hit him in the face.

 _No I will not._

I never actually did. What a sick thing to be afraid of. No matter how many times my brain thought it or how scared and guilty it made me feel, I never actually did it. Of _course_ I didn't do it. I loved Apex. The very idea was nothing but some crossed wires in my brain. I was just glad it wasn't the wires that made me actually do it.

I looked normal. That was maybe the worst thing about it. I looked normal, and I wanted to be normal, so I worked at it. Everyone else saw me as a normal boy. They didn't know it took herculean amounts of energy to look normal. My happy-go-lucky exterior was only achieved by battling my own broken brain every second of every day. There was never any respite. As soon as I woke up, my brain was telling me about the ways I was going to hurt my family, either intentionally or by accident. It never shut up. Never once, for any second in my life, did I get true peace and quiet.

But it wasn't all bad. When I wasn't with my family, I didn't have to worry about it. When I was petting a dog, the worries were so quiet I could ignore them. My family loved me and they supported me. I'd had to give up the girl I still loved because I was afraid I'd hurt her and because she deserved better, but I was happy she could find someone else.

It was almost a relief to be at the Reaping. With such a direct threat to my survival, my brain had bigger problems to focus on that its absurd scenarios of me strangling my mother or burning the house down. I could be afraid of something different for once. And I _would_ be toast if I got Reaped. I knew all about science, dogs, and the piano. But that wouldn't help in the Arena.

* * *

 **For allying purposes, I can tell everyone that Gidget will be giving birth before the Games start.**


	4. Four Reaping

**Slater was in fact designed for One. His submitter was flexible enough to move to Five, so I altered the backstory. Ferrari is my little sister's Tribute and I suggested the name, so that one's on my head.**

* * *

Shane Donegal

I didn't really think it would go this far. I was just training because I came from a long line of warriors. We didn't actually fight in the Games, though. It was a much older line than that. Way back when, before the Dark Days, my ancestors came from across the ocean. They lived in Ireland, back before the island was submerged in the catacylsms that brought on the war. I was sure they weren't all dead, though. There had to be bits of land still above water, and it took a lot to kill one of us.

Anyway, my people were the best fighters on Earth. They were fiercely proud, independent warriors who fought like animals to keep their lands safe. Since I was a little boy, my parents told me stories of warriors that snapped men in half and fought off nine enemies at the same time. Obviously, they were the coolest people ever, so it was only natural I wanted to be just like them. I might have been a little obsessed with them, in fact. I tried to cultivate an accent I'd never even heard, when I was six I proclaimed that my _real_ name was Fionn Mac Cumhaill, and I once made myself sick by snitching a nip of my father's whisky.

The culmination of all this was training. I wanted to learn to fight like the long line of badasses that came before me. I basically only trained in two things: endurance and the shillelagh. The shillelagh sounds like the coolest sword ever made, but it's actually a stick. People like me knew it's a super important stick my family had passed down for generations, but to outsiders, it just looked like a stick. That was why I didn't think I'd get picked to volunteer. I thought they'd pick Jacques, the guy who dual-wielded scimitars, and not Shane, the dude swinging a stick. When I found out I was the designated volunteer, it blew me away, but I wasn't arguing. I knew I was good, and this was my only chance to ever put what I learned into action. There haven't been many battles in Panem since the Dark Days. That's probably a good thing, but life's boring for a warrior without any wars.

I just hoped there were lots of other fighters in the Arena. I didn't want to fight a bunch of little kids. Killing kids was for dogs. I wanted formidable, terrifying enemies I'd have to be brave to fight. I wanted a real war, not just a little skirmish. This was what I'd been training for, even if I just decided that after I actually got picked. I was going to make my ancestors proud.

* * *

Rain Caroline Odessa

What are you gonna do when you're a Four girl who gets seasick? What are you going to do when you have seven siblings, and each one is better than you in some way? When you're just the middle kid, the one who never does enough right or wrong to get noticed? You train, that's what.

I might have been little, but I was tough. I trained hard at the Academy, and I was doing great. It was something I could finally be noticed for. Brooke was the only one of my older sisters to train, and she never took to it. I wouldn't be the one who followed her footsteps. I'd be the one who went farther. I was going to be the youngest person to ever win the Games. I knew I could do it, and I wasn't going to blow my chance by waiting another year to volunteer.

My parents weren't even worried when me, Ermin, Nixie, and Cress left for the Reaping. Mom was busy juggling Troy and Sirena, and Dad left to fish as soon as the sun came up. They probably wouldn't have noticed if I'd just stayed home. I was starting to think even the _Peacekeepers_ wouldn't have noticed if I didn't show up for the Reaping. They were going to take notice soon enough.

I was shaking with excitement as I waited for my moment. I surprised even myself getting picked at such a young age. The instructors saw the way I used my dagger and they saw how I could wrestle people twice my size. _They_ noticed me and they thought I was worth watching. The name was hardly off Catullus' lips when I spoke up.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

It was my golden moment. All eyes were on me as I strutted to the stage. _That's right,_ I thought. _I'm the pick. They picked me. I'm the one they thought could win._ I stood tall and proud on the stage, beaming out at all the people who were looking with surprise and respect at their representative.

"I volunteer as Tribute!"

When my partner stood next to me, I didn't feel so tall anymore. Shane's shadow swallowed me up entirely. He must have weighed twice as much as me. I looked up at him with something like awe. It was different after I'd really volunteered. In the Academy, we were practicing. This was what I was really up against in a fight that didn't end until someone was really dead. All eyes were on me, but my eyes were on the boy that could throw me like a pillow.

 _I screwed up._

* * *

 **I done goofed. I think I put Rain as 14, but she's 13. That's super young for a volunteer but there's a reason and she's not a generic 13-year-old psycho killer. I've been avoiding mentions of other countries in previous stories because I didn't know how that worked in Panem. For now I'll assume they're too fragmented to ever come into contact with each other, but some are still out there.**

 **I think I should add the descriptions of the characters so people can visualize better. I'll have to go back and add them for previous chapters. Shane is almost six feet tall with red hair and freckles (naturally) on a younger-looking face. Rain has dark brown curls and round blue eyes with silver flecks. She's almost five feet tall and she is paler than most people in Four since she avoids boats.**


	5. Five Reaping

**I didn't have the Three girl or the finished Four pair yet so I skipped to Five. They're not late, I just got antsy. I have some messages, so they might be there now.**

* * *

Slater Hematite

 _Die successful or die trying._

There weren't any opportunities in Five. I could work in a power plant, breathing asbestos and nuclear waste until I got cancer. I could sweep the streets or beg on a corner from people almost as poor as me. There were no chances for advancement here- certainly no chance for me to give my daughter the life she deserved. I should never have made such a huge mistake, but it was _my_ mistake. _She_ was a perfect little girl.

There weren't any Academies in Five. Everyone knew that. One, Two and Four were the Capitol's darlings, but no one else was allowed to volunteer. What we _did_ have was one or two self-defense clubs that called themselves "athletic centers". Basically, they really were. We didn't have fancy weapons. We didn't have _any_ real weapons, not since the rebellion. We had wooden swords weighted with lead so they swung like the real thing and bows that shot suction cup arrows. It still could have gotten us in huge trouble if the Peacekeepers found out, but they weren't going to look very hard if nothing ever came of it.

For years, nothing had ever come of it. Maybe half a dozen of us trained in a year and we only did it to have a ghost of a chance in case we got Reaped. Six kids out of an entire District had good odds, and none of us had ever been Reaped yet. I was the first one that went with the intent to volunteer. I knew the odds, but for me, a chance at a life without constant hunger and deprivation was worth the risk of death.

My family lived hand-to-mouth. The pennies we could save went to send me to our excuse for an Academy. We were betting it all on one chance to leave this all behind. If I won, we'd never have to worry again. If I lost, they had one less mouth to feed.

I might not have had the courage to go through with it if it wasn't for Serenity. I never did right by her mother. I'd abandoned Connie weeks before, but then I heard she was pregnant. She didn't think I cared, but it changed my life. This wasn't something I could abandon. I was responsible for our daughter. Serenity deserved better, and I'd get it for her even if I had to kill. And if I won, I'd have grounds to file for custody. I could see her every day and never stop spoiling her.

It took a perfect storm for someone from Five to volunteer. It had happened once before, and it worked out well for Sky. For the second time, everything came together. I had the ability to fight, the personality to kill, and the need to win. I didn't care about the others, or about the killing. I only cared about what came next.

* * *

Sita Alaya

My sister Elya led me to the broken machinery.

"It started smoking and then shut down. Careful, it's hot," she said.

I never got a chance to go to school, but I still knew a few things. In Five, what mattered was knowing about electricity and energy, and that's what I knew. I'd grown up tagging along behind my mother as she worked, and as soon as I was twelve, I started working too. I wasn't the biggest worker, but fixing things came naturally to me, and I was sometimes the only one who could fix a problem if there wasn't a certified mechanic around.

I checked to make sure the machine was shut off and got to work. The broken machine was an air compressor. We used it to run air through the pneumatic pipes that ventilated the generators that all the other machines were mere appendages to. It was good Elya had caught it before it got worse, since an exploding air compressor was not a good thing.

I opened up the hatch on the back of the air compressor, which was ten feet tall by three feet wide, and peered inside. The problem was immediately apparent. The main hose was worn through, allowing air to escape into the inner workings of the mechanism. The hot, damp air was wreaking havoc on the machinery and overheating it.

"It's the hose," I said to Elya, who was bent over my crouched form and peering in behind me.

"We don't have any replacements," she said.

"Of course not," I said. We only provide for the Capitol. We don't get any provisions for ourselves.

I sat back and considered the problem. We had auxiliary air compressors, so work didn't have to come to a standstill. But we _did_ have to get this one running again. The others would be overloaded on their own, and we couldn't have them all broken.

"Let's check the junk pile," I said. We didn't throw many things away in Five. Broken and rusted equipment went to a broom closet in the back of the building, where it was cannibalized as needed. Hoses were on all sorts of machines and they wore out all the time, so it wasn't hard to find half of one on the pile of odds and ends. I cut off a length and shaped it into two patches.

We _did_ have epoxy. Our factory couldn't run without it. I curled up one of the patches and ran my finger through the hose until I had it situated. I held it in place as Elya smeared epoxy on the other patch, and then I sandwiched them together. The putty formed an airtight seal and welded the patches in place for double protection. I replaced the hose, turned the machine back on, and the problem was solved.


	6. Six Reaping

Lucius Petrol

There was a small metal pin in my hand as I sat in the Justice Hall. Usually my thoughts were going a mile a minute, but when I heard my name, they all froze and there was nothing but fear. It was only for an instant, and then the thoughts were running again. I had to rise up to this challenge. I still had a chance, and I wasn't going to waste it.

I always prided myself on my quick thoughts and quick actions. That was why I wanted to be a pilot. Not for the expected reason. I didn't want to fly away from my problems or my District. I just wanted to fly. Being a pilot was the hardest, most elite job in Six. It took lightning-fast reflexes and the ability to think through problems and come up with a plan instantly. No one in my family had ever earned a pair of wings. They didn't even consider it an option. We were humble, working class people who worked hard every day just to make it by. I wanted something more than that. It was going to take everything I had, but it was worth it to me.

It was my grandfather who gave me the pin. It was shaped like a plane none of us had seen for decades. It was before even my grandfather's time. I was one of maybe a dozen people who would have recognized it in my District, and that was only because I was so obsessed with aircraft. It was a B-29, a huge hulk of a plane that was used to drop bombs in a war almost lost to history. The craft I would have flown would have been smaller than that. I wanted to be able to dart between things and zip across the sky like a comet. Flying a B-29 still took skill and craft, but they were often escorted by smaller planes. A B-29 carried bombs. It didn't make fancy maneuvers. It was hard enough to keep the massive hunk of metal airborne.

There wouldn't be planes in the Arena, but that wasn't the only thing I could do. I'd need to think quick and make flexible plans, just like a pilot. The odds were against me, but that wasn't a factor. I wasn't defined by odds or my District. We all went into the Games with a 1 in 24 chance. Th odds went up or down based on our choices, not our birth. Careers fared better because they _trained._ I wasn't trained, but I was going to learn and adapt.

This didn't have to be the end. It was a hard deal, but I didn't have to let it defeat me. There was no room for error and I'd have to do everything right. Every choice I made from here on out was life-or-death. I was going to take it seriously and give myself the best possible chance. I'd heard of people landing planes after their engines shut off entirely. They improvised, thought quickly, and made do. So would I.

* * *

Ferrari Benz

Michel was a good boss. As long as we did our work and kept him out of it, he let us goof around after hours. We didn't steal things (mostly because we didn't want to. We worked in an auto graveyard) or get into mischief that hurt anyone but ourselves. We _usually_ didn't even hurt ourselves. But it wasn't fun and games until someone lost an eye.

You picked up a few things working at a car junk lot. I got to where I could tell which cars really were junk, and which were the ones Peacekeepers threw out when they wanted an upgrade. Through trial-and-error, there was hardly a car on the lot I couldn't get running. Some wouldn't go faster than I could run, but the ones that got going... those were fun.

My latest project was a sleek purple number with two hubcaps and an almost entirely intact windshield. My last number, a sleek black number with three intact tires, had served me well until it died a Viking death in a tower of flames after I took a corner too hard and hit a pile of tires. I could be more careful, but I wasn't going to. I touched a few wires together and heard that satisfying hum.

"Everyone ready?" I asked. The other racers- my friends Polly, Cel, and Shif- flashed thumbs-up from their rides. None of us were wearing helmets. We would have cobbled them together just like we cobbled together our cars, and they would have been useless anyway. We were a quartet of walking safety violations. The egg timer we'd salvaged from the dump and repurposed as a starting pistol went off, and the race was on.

We never bothered to set up a track. The winner was whoever got across the lot first, by any route desired. Polly and Shif were cautious and preferred to go around obstacles. I wasn't no baby. I saw those "obstacles"- things like piles of tires and half-buried hoods- for what they really were: ramps.

I didn't always win, usually because I crashed. Cel was probably the best racer of us, since she planned out her route beforehand and only took reasonable risks. But I was feeling lucky today, so I took the direct route. I went in a straight line, through the pile of seat stuffing and over the half-rusted siderail, clearing it by a good inch and a half. This time my luck held, and I crossed the finish line two lengths ahead of the second place finisher.

Nothing's certain in Panem. I could Reaped tomorrow. I could run over by a taxi on the way to work. Or I could die trying to ramp three cars in a row. We all go someday. When I reached the other side, I wanted the big guy to throw up his hands and ask, "What were you thinking?!"

* * *

 **Lucius is tall and lanky with brown hair and eyes. He has big teeth in an endearing smile. Ferarri is tall with a black bob, amber eyes, and Asian skin.**


	7. Eight Reaping

Eddin Cavitch

 _The highest good is like water. Water benefits all material things well, and does not contend._

I didn't even know where that came from. It had to be ancient. I didn't mean to base my life off it, but that's how it turned out. What the line meant was that it was better to adapt then to try to force change. Instead of planning ahead, it's best to think about things as they happen and adjust accordingly.

I had a good life in Eight. My parents weren't able to care for me, so they did what was best and took me to the District group home. I had a nice factory job that helped me contribute to the group home and save a nest egg in case I could ever afford to move out. I liked all my housemates and we had a good thing together. It could have been a lot worse. I was glad I had a home and food. I liked to be with my friends, and my main goal was keeping them happy. I worked as hard as I could to bring home wages that could make all our lives better. I never wanted any of them to go hungry or end up on the streets.

It was hard to find a silver lining to getting Reaped. I was so shocked I couldn't even say anything as they announced me, but that sort of worked to my advantage anyway. I was a tall boy, and I probably looked like a silent, hulking giant. After I got down from the stage, I thought of something I could be happy about. My best friend Jamie was a few months older than me. Now he'd never have to worry about getting Reaped. It wasn't enough to stop me from being scared, though.

I'd said before the Reaping that I didn't want anyone to visit me if I got picked. I didn't want to make it harder for them. Jamie and Headmistress Halion didn't listen, though. Jamie sat down next to me, but the Headmistress kept standing.

"Just say what you have to," was all she said. She left, and Jamie watched her in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. True to my nature, I thought quick and didn't plan ahead.

"She means- you- _I like you a lot,"_ I said. I was blushing like a maniac.

"You mean... _a lot?"_ Jamie asked with narrow eyes.

"Yeah, like... _that_ a lot," I said. I was so relieved to have it out that I broke into a goofy smile.

"I _knew_ it. I didn't want to press, but it's good we finally got that cleared up," Jamie said. He lurched forward and we grabbed each other in an embrace. "Why couldn't you tell me before you got _Reaped?"_

He was right. I should have told him ages ago. All the same, it felt amazing to know he felt the same way. It was a much better silver lining. It actually did make all this worth it.

* * *

Martha Lewis

It was Reaping Day. It was the greatest nightmare any of us ever faced. It hung over our heads every day. From our thirteenth birthdays until the day we turned eighteen, it was constantly in our heads. Every year we didn't get picked, we remembered another slip with our names was in that bowl. The odds were in our favor, but all we could see was that we each had to spin that wheel five times, and the odds were a little worse each time.

The crowd was different every year. Sometimes we were dead silent. Other times a single scream would set us all off, and we could hardly hear the escort. This time, it was a mix. I could hear a little boy crying, and another girl was calling for her brother. The Peacekeepers stood in rows along the edges of the Reaping Center, as silent and still as ever. I knew why they were there. Someone had to die for the Capitol to be happy. Whoever got picked would do anything to make sure it wasn't her. The Peacekeepers were here to get the girl to the stage, but they were here for the others as well. A girl who got picked would be willing to do anything. Even kill whoever was standing next to her.

It was worse when our escort came out. In the crowd, we were all trying to hide inside ourselves. We were looking at the ground and trying to fold into ourselves until there was nothing left. It wasn't possible with Rhodius there. His shrill, screaming voice cut through all our defenses.

" _Are you ready?!"_ he crowed. We'd never be ready for what he was doing.

" _It's time for... THE REAPING!"_ he screamed. " _First, a lovely laaaaaaady! Who's it gonna be? Who's the llllucky winner? It's... It's... MAAAAAARTHA LEWIS!"_

It was possible, I discovered, to be so scared you forgot how to be scared. I could feel my blood pounding in my chest, but I couldn't feel my legs as I walked onstage. The worst thing possible had happened. It was almost serene. The worst thing possible was over. I was going into the Games. I was going to die. It was all over, and I didn't have to be scared anymore.

 _I'm going into the Games._ It was me. I was the pick. There weren't going to be any more Reapings for me. I had to stop being afraid and start getting ready. There was nothing left to be afraid of and nothing left to lose. As far as I knew, I was already dead. All I could do was try my best, and maybe things would work out. Maybe I could claw my way back to life.

* * *

 **Snowstar2 has an open SYOT for the 1st Hunger Games. I submitted and you should too so I can see my Tribute!**

 **Eddin is just over six feet with red hair and blue eyes. Martha is pale with black hair and blue eyes.**


	8. Nine Reaping

**Sorry these two are shorter. Their forms were short. Shane's submitter actually asked specifically to make sure he wasn't too similar to Floki when he sent him in. I'll be working to make sure I show that their backstories are similar, but their personalities are way different.**

* * *

Caine Karpos

The Reaping was the dullest day of the year. Whoever got there early had to wait for hours until everyone else finally got counted and got into place. I always came as late as I could, sometimes so late the Peacekeepers shooed me in with stern faces. Then I was stuck fidgeting and squirming until the escort _finally_ arrived, always "fashionably late", and picked a name.

I couldn't take it any longer. I took my bouncy ball out of my pocket and started playing with it. I'd found it in the dust years ago and played with it ever since. I started bouncing it off the ground and back into my hand. It was monotonous, but it was better than doing nothing.

When I saw another boy looking at me, I kicked it up a notch. I bounced it off my foot and then off my knee. I twirled it around my fingers and did some more tricks. I felt a surge of gratification as the boy stared in awe. Another boy poked me from behind and I turned around.

"This is serious," he said as he glared at me. I thumbed my nose at him and put the ball away. It was almost time for the Reaping anyway. Chimera would just pick the names and we could go home. I didn't even care if he picked me. I'd do a good job.

"Caine Karpos!"

I _did_ care if he picked me. All the boisterous good cheer went out of me and I wasn't fidgeting anymore. I was frozen stiff with fear. Two Peacekeepers hauled me onto the stage and I stood like a terrified statue.

I was back to myself by the time my parents came to see me. I squared my shoulders and waved them in like I'd volunteered.

"Don't worry," I told them. "I'll do fine. I definitely won't die. I'm going to win. I won't die."

They didn't have to be so nervous. Mom was wailing like a maniac and Dad looked ready to punch the Peacekeepers. They didn't have anything to be scared of. I was going to win. I'd take out those other twenty-three Tributes like nothing. I could do it. It was nothing. It was no big deal to kill two dozen people. It was going to be easy. It was _definitely_ going to be easy...

* * *

Tillia Raven

 _Oh dear, it's Caine._

Caine was _so_ obnoxious. He was such a show-off, always making a scene just so people would look at him. They should have been looking at _me. I_ was the pretty one. But I didn't need attention from the kind of people that followed Caine around. I had a hot boyfriend who loved me and dozens of friends.

I was never scared during the Reapings. My dad was deputy mayor, so I didn't have to take tesserae. My name was hardly in there. Someone else would get picked, someone poor. And if I did get picked, I'd be fine. I was strong and smart. I could win if I wanted to. I just didn't care to go into the Arena and deal with all that drama.

Come to think of it, I wasn't that sad Caine got picked. I didn't want to see the goober _die,_ but better him than someone else. Chimera turned to the girls' bowl and picked out another slip.

"Hannah Fulton!"

That really _was_ a tragedy. Hannah was the sweetest girl in town. She helped me with my math homework when Mr. Nguyen wasn't explaining things right, and she never had a bad word to say about anyone. I genuinely felt for her when I saw her walking to the stage with her head down and her hands clasped to her stomach. Then my mind started working.

 _She shouldn't have to go. She's so nice, she doesn't have a chance. She could never kill anyone. We should at least send someone who has a chance. Hey..._ I _have a chance. I could win. I could be the big hero, save Hannah, and bring this home for Nine._

"Do we have any volunteers?" Chimera asked. I waited an instant to build suspense.

"I volunteer as Tribute!" I yelled. I swept to the stage and beamed serenely at Hannah, who was weeping with joy and gratitude as she fled. Chimera tried to announce me and I swiped his microphone.

"I'll do my goodbyes now... so goodbye then!" I said.

My dad came to see me, but I shooed him away. There was no love lost between us, and he didn't need to fake it now. They wouldn't let my boyfriend Hugo come see me, so I kept my own company. I'd done a good deed helping out Hannah. I was a good person. I deserved to win, and I was going to.

* * *

 **Caine is short with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. He's a little chubby. Tillia is tall and pretty with black curly hair and blue eyes. I forgot to do Eight so I'll have to go back.**


	9. Seven Reaping

Keylor Herald

We were almost at the edge of the District. Jansen had been hinting that we should go back for some time, but I wanted to keep going. We could be the first ones to sneak across the border and see another District. It would be super dangerous, but how cool would that be? We probably weren't even at the border anyway. We were probably just deeper into the forest than anyone had ever been. Jensen stopped and scuffed his feet in the dirt.

"Let's go back. We're going to get in big trouble," he said. It wasn't like him to be so nervous. He was always ready to try something, and he always ended up coming out on top. It drove me nuts how easy everything was for him. I was always looking for something that could get me remembered, and things just fell into his lap.

"You can go back if you want. I'm going to keep going," I said. I didn't expect Jansen to actually turn around and go, but I was happy he did. This was my chance to have something all to myself. He was going to be so mad when I found something amazing and he hadn't been there.

I wasn't scared as I went on. There were no Peacekeepers way out here. There was nothing out here but trees and mysteries. There could be anything so far out here in the woods. There could be an unexploded mine from the Dark Days, or a cave that lead all the way to the Capitol. And whatever it was would be _my_ discovery.

I heard it before I saw it. That loud, rushing noise could only be one thing. I pushed some branches out of the way and stepped into a clearing, revealing a waterfall. It was the tallest one I'd ever seen, and it seemed to emerge impossibly from what looked like a smooth rock face. It ended in a pool far too small to hold all the water, indicating that it was on top of an impenetrable network of underground channels.

I felt drunk as I looked at it, not that I'd ever been drunk before. All my life, there had always been someone faster, or smarter, or stronger. Usually it was Jansen, even though he didn't do it on purpose. This time, _I_ was the one who found something. I'd done it before Jansen or anyone else. I was the first one to see this waterfall since maybe the Dark Days. It could be mine forever if I wanted. The only way anyone else would know would be if I chose to tell them.

There was a glittering pebble at the edge of the pool. I picked it up and held it to the light, sending sparkles into the air. Now that I'd finally felt the rush of excitement and accomplishment that came from being the best, I wanted to feel it again and again. I'd do anything to get that feeling again.

* * *

Violet Robbins

Ants and bees are about the only insects that stay with their families. I didn't have a beehive, but I did have an ant farm. I collected all the ants myself with my father's help, and they lived in a big jar in my room. They had lots of neat tunnels, and I could see the queen in one of the chambers. She worked all day, but she was never too busy to see her family. She didn't have carvings to work on, carvings that were more important than her eggs.

The ants didn't have to worry about Reapings. Crow, Lilly and me did. With my big sister Savannah in her own house, I was the mother. We had a real mother, but she was at her shop. She had to support the family, and she loved her art so much. So I took over and made sure everyone was ready. Dad usually did all the family stuff, but on Reaping day he stayed in his room. He was tenderhearted. He didn't want us to see what he looked like.

"What if I get in the wrong line? Will they shoot me?" Lilly asked.

"Don't worry. They're Peacekeepers. They keep the peace," I said. I knew how ridiculous it was in real life, but Lilly was little enough she might possibly still have some faith.

"What if I get Reaped?" she asked.

"I'll take care of it," I said. I shouldn't have been so optimistic. I didn't know what I'd do if she got Reaped. I didn't know if I'd be brave enough to volunteer.

"What if you get Reaped?" Lilly asked.

"Guess I'll have to eat bugs," I said. I liked bugs, but if it was them or me, I was eating me some ants. I was relieved when Lilly laughed.

"If I get Reaped, you'll have to take care of all my bugs until I get back. Even Flora," I said, referring to my yellow garden spider.

"Eww!" Lilly said, but she was smiling. I didn't have to worry about Crow. He was older than me, and he took care of himself. He was already talking about getting his own house.

After I was separated from Lilly and placed in my own line at the Reaping, I tried to think about something else. There was a crack in Jager the mantis' jar. I needed to fix it somehow. I could try using some of Mom's wood glue. That would probably stick. The problem was solved, but I kept thinking of alternate ways. I could use mud, but that would fall off when it dried. I could try to find a new jar if I had to. I could use tape. I tried to think of as many different ways as I could. Anything to keep my mind of the name on that slip of paper.

* * *

 **Violet is normal height with freckles, short light brown hair, and hazel eyes. Keylor is Hispanic with wavy hair and lean strength.**


	10. Ten Reaping

**I reminded myself to tell everyone that Violet and Keylor didn't volunteer, but I forgot. So now I will tell everyone.**

* * *

Socks Kelarck

Everyone was crying when they came in except me and my mother. My mother wasn't crying because she was trying to stay strong, or at least that was my guess. I wasn't crying because I knew I was supposed to, but it just wasn't happening. There were other things I was supposed to be doing, too, but I could never tell what they were. I was hesitant about guessing after the time my sister broke her leg and I laughed. That was the wrong answer. I didn't even think it was funny. I was just trying to find the right reaction.

My mother was standing in my way. She was blocking my view of the Peacekeepers. Everyone else was carrying on and wailing, but I just wanted to see those Peacekeepers. They were wearing the strangest socks. They were the thickest, most luxurious socks I'd ever seen. I could see them peeking over the top of their boots. They must have been wool. I'd never seen people actually wear wool. We always sent ours to the Capitol. I wished I could go over and feel them, but they would probably kick me.

I wished my family wasn't so loud. They were making the room shake and I couldn't hear myself think. They were all crowding around and hugging me. I liked them and all, but I didn't get why people smashed together when they liked each other. I could like them the same amount from far away. They were probably scared because I was going to the Hunger Games and would probably die. That was a long way away. It didn't make sense to be scared before the scary thing happened.

My mom bent over, and I could see the lovely Peacekeeper socks better. Then Mom stood back up and blocked my view again. She was holding something droopy and white.

 _A sock!_

Mom said something, but I didn't care. I had a sock. A white (except for the scuffy part from Mom's toe), soft, fluffy, stretchy sock. I didn't know why, but socks were the best things in the whole world. I loved to run my hands over them and stretch them between my fingers. I wore them like gloves all winter long and I liked to press them to my cheeks. Socks were the pinnacle of human achievement. When the first caveman tied some dead animal around his feet, we'd reached the top. We might as well have stopped there.

* * *

Briar Hampton

"This is not a good idea."

It was always Nova saying stuff like that. She was usually right, but "right" didn't always mean "fun".

"My job is to wash the feathers. They didn't say I couldn't add stuff," I said. My mother was going to be even more upset than Nova when she saw my shirt pocket. It was stained red with the handful of chokecherries I'd gathered in the pasture before work. I took the mushy wad of cherries out and held them in my hand as they reddened my fingers.

"This is the _best_ diea," Laurie said. I held the berries over the sudsy vat of feathers.

"If we get caught, you know they'll blame me and Laurie. You _never_ get in trouble," I said. Nova covered her eyes. I dropped the berries.

I didn't know a handful of berries could be so powerful. I thought they'd stick to a couple of feathers and stain them bright red. Instead they diffused throughout the entire vat containing all the factory's dirty feathers. The water turned pale rose pink and the heat of the water brought the earthy scent out. I kept stirring like nothing was wrong and Laurie stifled laughs as she added detergent. We stirred up the water until bubbles colored our sins. When the next shift took over, we ran for the hills.

I knew things were bad when the manager of the entire factory was there when I came to work the next day. He was standing next to the washing station, peering into the water along with two other managers. My coworkers were milling around aimlessly, waiting for work to start.

"What happened?" I asked one of the ladies.

" _Someone_ ruined the feathers," she said meaningfully.

"Oh no," I said with all the sincerity I could muster. "What are we going to do?'

It could have been worse. I hadn't meant to ruin so many valuable feathers, and it turned out I didn't. We just had to send the entire shipment to Eight to made into feather boas for the Capitol. I _had_ meant to cause chaos and be a nuisance, and that part was a success. So basically, everything went perfectly.

* * *

 **Socks doesn't have a description. His real name is Soma but Socks is his name in spirit. Briar looks like Keke Palmer, so super pretty.**


	11. Eleven Reaping

Kuma Swain

I finally had something to be proud of. Usually I got my mother something dumb like a pretty rock or a bit of ribbon for her birthday. This time I had something worth giving. It would change her life. It would change all of our lives.

Every day, I worked dawn to dusk at one of Eleven's fruit packing factories. Every chance I got, I learned something new. I could do everything from sorting the fruit to hosing down the leftovers. I worked like crazy to always come in over quota, even though it didn't mean any extra pay. Opportunities were few in Eleven, and you had to earn every inch you gained.

It all came to fruition (no pun intended) a few months after I turned sixteen. My manager pulled me aside and said he'd been keeping an eye on me lately. I'd noticed, and it had driven me to work even harder as I saw my goal getting closer. One of our managers was getting close to retirement. Based on my performance, my boss offered me an apprenticeship. It would take three years to fully take effect, since I had to study business and things like that, but the first pay raise came immediately.

I was over the roof. Not only would I be bringing more money to my family, but I was actually moving up in the world. So few people got that sort of chance in Eleven. If I was a manager, I wouldn't have to ruin my back straightening and bending over vats of fruit. I'd get invaluable education that would put me among the elite in my District. I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt and losing my job. It was everything I'd been working toward for years.

My mother's birthday was a week after the Reaping. I was wrapping my present early, just in case. I could have gotten her something fancy with my first new paycheck, but this was better than all of that. I _would_ get her lots of presents as soon as I could, but the best thing I could think of was to wrap the contract that listed my new position. Better than any present I could buy her was the fact that with my new income, she wouldn't have to do what she'd been doing lately. I didn't condemn her for it, but it still broke my heart. I'd said a lot of things I regretted, but I loved her. My sister wandered in as I was wrapping the paper.

"You got Mom a sheet of paper? With scribbles already on it?" she asked.

"You'll see," I said. "What did _you_ get her?" I asked.

"A bracelet, maybe. A pocket watch. Whatever someone has in his pocket," she said. She knew I didn't like her stealing things. But I wasn't her father. If our father had stuck around, maybe she'd know better.

I wasn't going to let her ruin my day. I couldn't wait to see Mom's face when she read the contract. It was a whole new world for us. For the first time, the opportunities were endless.

* * *

Lily White

Anyone can get picked for the Hunger Games. All of us needed to have a plan. I'd been watching the Games since I was old enough to talk, and I'd been learning ever since.

The first thing was to know your place. I wasn't a Career. I couldn't fight or scare people away or defend myself if I got attacked. I couldn't go into the Bloodbath, no matter how nice the stuff there was. I couldn't afford to take chances and I couldn't afford allies. I was an easy target, even for someone who said they were my friend. I had to analyze myself and take the proper precautions.

The most important thing of all was to be forgettable. I didn't want to be the cute one, or the smart one, or the one to beat. I didn't want to be anything memorable whatsoever. I wasn't going to be good at anything. I was going to be utterly average. Maybe I wouldn't get any sponsors, but that was okay. The idea of sponsor gifts always seemed risky to me. Someone might see the parachute and follow it to me. I'd die before I got to eat the apple someone might have sent me.

My strategy was the most boring strategy in the world, but it had worked before and it would work again. For me, my only hope was to stay hidden until everyone else was dead. It worked for Drone, Toby, Lena, and Cornflower. I just had to stay out of the way and lay low. None of us wanted to kill, but by the end of the Games I'd seen, the Tributes were always willing to fight. I knew I'd come out the worse in a fight. The only option was to avoid them entirely.

That wouldn't be enough, though. I knew I needed an emergency plan for if the Gamemakers got bored of me hiding behind a rock. If I absolutely had to, I had a plan for killing someone. I'd climb a tree and throw a rock, hopefully stunning them. Then I'd kill them before I got up. It was dirty and low, but I didn't plan on getting any honor from the Games. I didn't even think the plan would work, and I hoped I didn't have to try it.

I needed a plan, because the odds weren't in my favor. My family wasn't rich, not even by Eleven standards. I'd taken out more tesserae than I wanted to think about, even though I knew the exact number, since I calculated the odds every year. They weren't good this year. The odds were still greater that I wouldn't get picked, but I wouldn't have played Russian roulette with the same odds.

I wore a plain white cotton dress to the Reaping, like most of the other girls. I blended in as just another face in the crowd. I hoped by my anonymity I couldn't avoid being the name on that slip of paper. As the moment of truth drew nearer, I thought of Lena. I wished I could disappear, just like her.

* * *

 **Kuma is almost six feet with brown hair, brown eyes, a broad build, and resting grumpy face, which he's self-conscious about. Lilly has dark skin, dark brown eyes, and frizzy hair. She is underweight and smaller than she should be.**


	12. Twelve Reaping

**Just to make sure everyone sees this: I must take responsibility for what happened to Lily. There was a lot more in her form than what appeared in her POV. I focused on her Games plan because I thought I could establish her character and get a lot of exposition done so she had more free space later to be herself. I didn't even think about it being close to Rue because I'm absentminded. Now that I see where I went wrong, I'll focus on those other things that aren't like Rue.**

* * *

Allecia Callison

Panem didn't work. The whole system was messed up. They tried to make it sound so wonderful in school, but the truth was right in front of us. It didn't matter if we had the best government system, or the best president, or the _best_ anything. All that mattered was whether it worked. Results mattered, not theories. Just like communism. Sure, it would be great if we all shared everything equally. But start a factory and tell everyone they'd all get paid the same no matter how hard they worked, you were gonna get a lot of slackers and maybe one saint who did all the work because he actually cared.

That was why I didn't want to work in the mines. Nobody did, of course, since they were nasty and dark and turned your lungs black. I was going to do my best to get any other job possible, even if it paid less, because the mines weren't practical. Coal doesn't go on forever. There's only so much down there. Someday it was going to run out. An economy based entirely on coal was a terrible idea. When it ran out, everything would collapse. All those people whose only skill was mining were going to be even poorer and hungrier than before.

It wasn't impossible for someone from Twelve to not work in the mines. My mother was in politics and my father had a shop. I already had far more opportunities than most people from my District. I studied hard in school to give myself an even better chance, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was going to do after I grew up. I was lucky enough to live in the only District where kids didn't start working until they were eighteen. I had six more years to come up with a plan.

I didn't care about glamour or prestige. I wanted a job that was practical. I didn't want to go into politics or take over my dad's shop, since those were both superfluous in their own ways. The most important factor for me was that my job be indispensible. I wanted a tried-and-true profession that always had demand, something that would keep me fed even if there was another apocalypse. My current plan was either to distill moonshine or be a handyman. People always wanted alcohol, and they always needed houses.

I always had to keep my ideas to myself. The powers that be didn't like people thinking about ways to change things. Changes in ideas meant changes in power. If anyone knew about the sort of things I thought about, I'd be dead or an Avox. That was the biggest problem in Panem. People with ideas, whether or not they were right, were too afraid to speak them.

* * *

Grey Eamon Arden

It wasn't enough. We did everything we could, but it wasn't going to be enough.

Ella was fading away. She'd been sickly ever since she was born, and every winter we prepared ourselves. It was so cold in the house, and she was so little. I could see her ribs through the thin blanket draped over her. Her eyes looked so big in her shrunken face. She'd stopped asking for food. That was the worst thing. She was so quiet.

I'd done everything I could. I'd sold everything, down to my socks. I scoured the trees outside our house for any scrap of bark or shriveled berries that might help. Once, when I was home alone with Ella, I came back from my hunt and found her on the floor, scooping dirt into her mouth. I held in the emotion then, but it was getting to where I couldn't take much more.

We were all clustered around her bed. This time, we knew there wouldn't be a reprieve. Her breath cycled between heavy pants and barely visible puffs. She was cold as ice, even with our parents lying on either side of her, trying to keep her warm. Ella curled her emaciated hand and put it to her mouth. Her lips moved like she was chewing something that wasn't there. Mother stretched across her and started to weep. Dad put his arm on her back and brought them both in closer.

"You should have some, Mama," Ella said. She held her empty hand out to her mother. Mom squeezed her hand into her own shaky one. Ella smiled, and she was gone.

I left the house as my family reacted to Ella's death. I'd been putting on a brave face. Crying wouldn't help anyone. But as soon as I got far enough away from my house that they couldn't hear, everything came out. I curled my hands into fists and screamed at nothing. I kicked at the dirt and snow and punched a tree so hard my hand hurt. I knelt on the ground and pounded my fist into the dirt.

It didn't matter what anyone said. I knew what was right and what was wrong. Little girls dying in the cold, wasted away like skeletons, wasn't right. It wasn't right for rich, warm Capitolites to leave us out here like animals. They said everyone was happy in Panem. They were wrong. Everyone was happy in the _Capitol._ No one was happy here.

* * *

 **Allecia has bronze skin and curly black hair. Gray is six feet tall and has black hair, a lean muscular frame, and gray eyes.**


	13. New Life

**My sister is coming home today so she'll want me to hang out with her. I'll try to write anyway.**

* * *

Azure Doyle

I didn't expect to see Onyx, but I knew exactly what I was looking at as soon as I saw him. I'd heard tales of those scars. We only ever saw them on hardcore dudes. Word was they were part of some secret Capitol assassin group. The Capitol had done good by me, so I wasn't sniffing into their dirty business. I'd help Onyx as much as I could, but I didn't think he needed much help.

* * *

Ava Hanson

I was minding my own business getting ready to train with Pray when she suddenly darted to one side, scaring the crap out of me. She sprinted down the hall and ran into a bathroom.

"Are you okay?" I called through the stall door. The door flew open and she sauntered out.

"It's nothing," she insisted, and she washed her hands like nothing was wrong.

"You just threw up all over! Do you have food poisoning or something?" I asked.

"Nah, I just got sick of bleeding everywhere once a month," she said.

"What's that supposed-" I said. _No way._ No way. Silver Claws Jager had _sex._ Rudolph was the bravest man in Panem.

* * *

Pray Jager

So I was pregnant. Maybe I got bored ending life and decided to switch things up for once. Or maybe I just wanted to live vicariously through my little future Career. I was the same mentor as ever.

"So, what brings you to the Games," I asked Tuesday.

"I want to write this really cool article," she said.

" _What?_ You came here to write an _article?_ You're nuts!" I said. What was Two coming to? I didn't want to train some wannabe writer. I wasn't going to be easy on her, either. She better be ready.

* * *

Acee Hal

"So... you're pregnant," I said.

"Yeah," she said as we both looked at her watermelon belly. I'd been afraid this would happen ever since I started mentoring. That or a Siamese twin Tribute. Or both.

"I think your best chance is the sponsors," I said. "You... you can't really fight with... that. But there are plenty of Capitol moms. Play that up and hope the Careers don't want the hit in likeability."

* * *

Careen Ellis

Whatever Rain was thinking, she was wrong.

"I was really good in the Academy. Even though I was young, I was the best," she said.

"Sure. None of them other girls twice your size were better," I said. "Especially not Jackie Sloop, the girl they

"They were wrong. They should have picked me," she said.

"If they should have, they would have," I said.

"They didn't get mad when I volunteered," Rain argued.

"No, they didn't. Do you know why? I do. Because they always consult the Victors when they pick volunteers. They saw me again after. You know what they said? They said they're not mad. Because you're cute. You'll get sponsors. The Careers won't go after you- at first. And you know where all that sponsor money is going?" I asked.

"I'd like a dagger. And some armor," Rain said.

"It's going to _Shane,"_ I said. "They're not mad because you'll get sponsors, which they're sending to _Shane._ Because he can _win,"_ I said. "You're not their darling. You're their sacrifice."

Rain's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. I felt guilty when she started to cry and fled the car. I'd go after her when she'd started to recover. She could still win if we did everything right. She just had to know where she actually stood.

* * *

Erwin Jackson

"You volunteered for this."

I couldn't respect a volunteer. Anyone who got into this willingly wasn't worth help. Slater, by volunteering, clearly told me that he was willing to kill people and his training told me he actually _wanted_ to kill people. I'd been through that. I still remembered a little glass bird that dropped from a girl's hand as I won the Games. It was good for him that he trained, because he wasn't getting anything from me.

* * *

Toby Cash

Lucius seemed like a nice boy. He was polite and quiet. He didn't say much to me, probably because I looked so sad.

I wasn't sad because of him, though. I was trying to do right by him and be there for him, but it was so hard. Every part of me was screaming in pain and I was shaking uncontrollably. My vision was blurry and I felt thirstier than I ever had since the Games. I knew what would solve all of those problems, but I couldn't do that. I had to last another week. Then I could go back.

* * *

Sequoia Wilson

Bugs. That is so gross. Lily liked bugs. Nasty, crawly, skittering bugs. Gross termites that crawled out of rotton wood. Fat caterpillars hiding under leaves.

I should have been more encouraging. It was the only thing I'd gotten out of her. She was scrunched into a corner, already thinking about stronger Tributes and what they were going to do to her. She'd barely spoken until a spider darted across the table, making me dive for cover. She scooped the horrible thing up with a cup and dumped it out _in her hand_. That girl was ready for the Games. She was ready for _anything._

* * *

Tillo Peters

What a waste of time. Martha was another lost cause, just like Alice. It was a farce that I was forced to stick around and "mentor" her. I couldn't make a purse out of a pig's ear. She was probably a nice enough girl, but this was stupid. She wasn't winning. Why did I have to be stuck here in the Capitol rubbing elbows with painted-faced clowns until she went into the Arena and let me go an hour later? I won my Games, but I was still a Tribute. Every year I had to sacrifice another week of my life pretending the kids they sent me had a shot. I was starting to think the Reaping in Nine was rigged. The Capitol probably hated me as much as I hated them.

* * *

Chimera Ilium

"It's so nice to really meet you," I said to Caine. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"What is it?" Caine asked. He looked confused, probably because to him, I already seemed rich and glamorous. What could he possibly do to help?

"I love being an escort, but I'm not meant to be a mentor. I don't like seeing all you kids die every year. That's why I was hoping you could win. Then you'd be the mentor and I could stick to the fun stuff," I said. Caine looked at me like I was nuts, and I realized where I went wrong.

"Mentoring will be fun for _you._ You're from the Districts, so you like that stuff. You wouldn't like mentoring anyway. District kids don't care about fashion and manners. I didn't mean to be a hog. It's better for _both_ of us if you win," I said. He still looked at me like I was nuts.

* * *

Bambi Kirkland

Something was wrong with that kid. He was sitting still as a statue except his hand, which kept petting a sock. I thought maybe he was in shock, but he looked at me when I moved, and he'd answer questions. He was weird, though. He was creeping me out. I needed help on this on. I knew someone else who acted like this kid. I needed Cornflower.

"He talks, but it's like he's reading a script. His face is all wrong," I said as we walked back to the car. Cornflower and the boy regarded each other with mirroring sideways glances.

"Yeah, he's one of us," Cornflower said, using the phrase she always did when someone wasn't quite right in the head. She had a radar for it. I was getting good at it too just from just exposure. Cornflower fetched Briar so we could stay in the same room in case I needed more help.

"So, you excited for the Capitol?" I asked "Socks". He looked at my lips while I talked, which just weirded me out more. It looked like he was trying to guess at my expression.

"I'm sure it will be fun," he said. I put on a more obvious smile to make things easier.

"You really like socks, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah I love socks!" he said. It was the most genuine thing I'd heard from him so far.

"What's so cool about socks?" I asked.

"They're like a tube _for your feet_ ," he said. I'd never look at socks the same way again.

* * *

Nubu Sanders

Gray was one of those people that bottled everything up. I could tell right away.

"You don't have to be sad if I die. It's not your fault," he said. That wasn't going to stop me, but it was nice of him to try. I tried the same thing with Demi.

"Don't worry about that. We have to get you back home. Even if I wasn't sad, your family will be," I said. He needed motivation to win. Other than not dying, which wasn't enough for some people.

"I've seen what happens to Victors. They're not the same. I don't know if it's worth it to win," he said. He didn't mean it, but it still cut me. Victors

"It doesn't have to be that way. We can't control what happens all the time, but we decide how we react to it. If you don't want to change, that will make it harder to win, but it's still possible. Not all Victors killed people," I said.

"I might change my mind when things are real," Gray said. After seeing the second Resurrection Games, I knew what fear and pressure could do to someone who had been my friend in the Arena. Gray was right. People changed, even if they didn't want to. I didn't know what to hope for him. If he won, he probably wouldn't be the same. The people who deserved to win most were the ones that achieved it the least.


	14. Fixing Mah Goofs

**I done goofed again.**

 **1\. I forgot Tillo was from Eight. I always get Eight and Nine mixed up because let's be honest, those are the most boring Districts.**

 **2\. I reminded myself at the beginning to remember to put in Frankie because he's new. So of course I forgot Eleven entirely.**

 **3\. I had a bunch of girls in a row so I wanted to even things out with male mentors. So of course I forgot Calvary was even there and skipped her.**

* * *

Calvary Warsaw (Ten mentor)

"Hi, I'm Calvary and I'll be your mentor this year. This is Rose. She's... with me."

This being my first year, Rose insisted on following me. I suspected she'd be tagging along every year. But it wasn't entirely a bad thing. If she liked my Tribute, she was the richest girl in Panem. Assuming she was allowed to- and she was allowed to

"Calvary's my best friend," Rose told Briar.

"Oh yeah, we're inseparable," I said.

"Cool. Cool name, too," Briar said, winking at Rose. "We're like a set." That girl knew where her bread was buttered. Just like me.

* * *

Frankie Disney (Eleven mentor)

Emotions were dangerous things. I'd just barely started to learn about them, and I definitely didn't want to deal with them when I was trying to mentor. I was keeping away from mood-altering drugs for both mine and Kuma's sake.

"You're rich, right? They gave us all those presents when you won," Kuma said.

"Yeah, I'm rich," I said. I didn't know what to do with all the money. I didn't care about fancy things. I had a portrait of Vera made, but other than that, I was living just like I had before.

"If I die, could you help my family? I know Victors probably get this all the time, but you're new, so you haven't yet. And they really need help," he said. "We don't need much. I just don't want my mother to have keep 'working', you know?" he said.

"Sure, I can do that," I said. I didn't say any crap like "don't worry about that, you're going to win". It wouldn't have sounded sincere from me even if I tried.

"She'll probably think she has to pay you back. Sorry about that," he said. It took me a minute to figure out what he met. I would have laughed if I'd been on one of my trips. She was barking up the wrong tree if she thought I wanted that.


	15. Eye of the Beholder

Hollan Makhpiya (One stylist)

This time, it was _me_ that was starstruck. I was working with _Rhoda Hamilton,_ the most glamorous District model in Panem. I didn't have to do anything with her. She was already perfect.

* * *

Tigris Chatte (Two stylist)

Jason was a beautiful boy. I'd always been fond of beautiful things. Two was the most warlike of the Districts, but combat could still be beautiful. Like a perfectly proportioned, lithely magnificent tiger.

* * *

Cilantro Pestle (Three stylist)

"Can you dye my hair red?"

What a novel idea. I wouldn't have thought Quinn was the flamboyant type, but I could work with that. I only hoped he didn't look like a clown. Red would look so flashy with the sleek Three aesthetic. He was going to stand out, which is what I loved.

* * *

Rouge Twain (Four stylist)

Shane was a little weird. Most of my Tributes had darker skin. He was all pale and freckly. He kept talking about fighting and stuff, but he looked like a leprechaun. I'd do my best. I took my job very seriously.

* * *

Puff Auri (Five stylist)

Sita needed high heels, or she wouldn't be able to see over the chariot. Naturally I had to teach her, because the Districts were so terribly unfashionable. People from Five were supposed to be smart ( _or was that Three?),_ but she sure had a terrible time with something as simple as walking. It was good thing she wouldn't move much during the parade. She might not survive if she had to.

* * *

Flora Kettle (Six stylist)

"Can I be a race car driver?"

"Oh my goodness _best idea ever!"_

"Instead of a chariot, can I have a race car?"

"Oh my goodness _even better idea!"_

I'd have to talk to the parade organizers. They couldn't say no to that.

* * *

Baste Marinade (Seven stylist)

"What's Seven like? What's the

"We have a lot of trees," Keylor said.

"What kind of trees?"

"Redwoods, oak... lots of trees," Keylor said.

* * *

Mint Goblet (Eight stylist)

Eddin had a boyfriend back home. Poor dear. I hoped he got home to him. It was so hard to find good outfits for Eight. One would think the textile District would be the easiest, but it was hard to work with something so obvious. But I _did_ want to make Eddin look good. He had to get back home.

* * *

Filay Spade (Nine stylist)

I was _inspired_ by Tillia. She was like a muse. She was so lovely, like a portrait. I could see the ages peeling away, revealing the heart of beauty. Styles and textures overlapped in my brain as I tried to conceptualize the perfect gown. She was chic. She was divine. Only the finest haute couture for this lovely.

* * *

Phoebe Vane

No more cows. Absolutely no more cows. Cows were _out._ Creativity was _in._ There was so much more to Ten than cows. Soma and Briar deserved better than cows. They were such nice children. Briar especially liked my confetti. She asked if she could have some. I had plenty, so of course I let her.

* * *

Creme Brulee

Lily was eating a donut while I was _trying_ to get her ready. And she was eating like a pig, too. There were crumbs everywhere.

"Ex _cuse_ me," I said. "Have you never eaten a donut before?"

"No," she said.

"Were you raised in a barn?" I asked.

"Pretty much," she said. District people were so slovenly.

* * *

Cuisine Martinique

Allecia sure had some big ideas.

"No way. _Other_ types of governments?"

"Yeah. Ours is the best, of course, but some people have tried different ways," Allecia said.

"Really? Who tried them? I bet it was Hollan. He thinks he's so smart," I said.

"No, not people _here._ A long time ago," she said.

"Oh, so like Hollan's parents?"


	16. Parade

Polyphemus Ignotus

"Here's District One, leading the way as brightly as always. And we're lucky for that, because none of us could wait another minute for the gorgeous, the inimitable Rhoda Hamilton! Her amazing gown couldn't be more beautiful, since it's a collage of all her unforgettable posters from the years she's been gracing us. The Peacekeepers are having a tough job keeping her adoring fans from swarming the parade corridor. Meanwhile she's waving like the princess she is. But I mustn't forget about Onyx, who is dressed in a sleek, shiny black suit. He stands at smart attention."

"Tuesday is loving the attention and is moving around as much as her metal armor allows. She's swinging a sword I hope isn't real. Jason's stylist must have taken inspiration from his exotic complexion. His costume- his

"It's a good thing Quintic has a crown that's flashing his name, because I wouldn't recognize him otherwise. His hair is as red as a tomato! His circtui board suit flashes and sparks, and his skin is painted all over with wires. He's keeping to himself in the center of the chariot, like he's nervous about all the fuss. Gidget's long dress is covered in gadgets and gizmos. I don't even know what half of those do. She looks shy, but she's still waving."

"Rain is gripping the chariot with all her strength, making her muscles stand out. Her dress is as lovely as she is, with swirls of oceanic colors that really bring out her eyes. She must be standing on her tiptoes, because I know Shane is a lot taller than she is. Shane, meanwhile, is wearing swimming trunks in Four's signature blue, and matching swirls of blue pain decorate his face and chest. He's shoving his stick into the air triumphantly, leaving Rain to get out of the way."

"Slater looks very serious. His eyes are straight ahead and he's standing tall in his anti-radiation suit. Sita looks like a feminine vision next to him in her lovely cog-covered dress and metal tiara. She's bouncing on her toes and waving enthusiastically at the crowd."

"Ferarri has places to go! She's wearing a tight black racing suit covered in bright logos and buttons. Her head is encased in a shiny helmet and she's flashing two thumbs up. Lucius, however, is lost in the crowd. He's wearing the same old steward uniform we've seen so often from Six. He seems more interested in Ferrari than his own dull outfit."

"Nothing new from Seven. Violet makes a lovely lumberjack, but she's still just that. Someone in the crowd must think differently, though, because she just caught a rose. Keylor looks positively morose in his costume. He can hardly move in his stiff board outfit. I don't know of any trees that are bright red..."

"I didn't know factory workers worked shirtless in Eight, but I'm glad for it! Eddin is looking fine! He seems thankful for all the attention, though I doubt he knows the reason for it. Martha is trying desperately not to skewer herself. Her hands are stiff out at her sides and she's like a statue under a dress made of nothing but overlapping needles."

"Oh, that's right. Nine is grain. I always forget that one. Caine helpfully reminds us about his District by dressing as the top part of a wheat plant. You know that thing... whatever it's called. Tillia makes a perfect match for him, since she appears to be a seed. They're holding hands in a tasteful representation of the harvest cycle."

"Socks is a very adorable sheep. It's lucky Briar has a less weighty costume, since Socks is taking up almost the entire chariot with his fluffy fur. Briar is the cutest little farm girl with her plaid dress and pair of braids. Socks is just picking at his wool, but Briar is playing to the crowd."

"Kuma's team has informed me that his name means 'bear'". This is important because he is wearing a bearskin hood. His clothing is ragged and he holds a machete in one hand and fruit, which he is throwing at the crowd, in the other. Lily's green dress is made of leaves and she holds a lily in one hand while she waves with the other."

"The crowd is loving Allecia's outfit! It's shooting out gold confetti at them. This time, she's not a miner, she's the stuff they mine! How very clever. Gray, however, is just a miner. He might wave more if he didn't have to dodge sprays of confetti."

"And that's the last of them. I'm always sorry to see the end of the parade. But don't be too sad. We only have 365 days until the next one."


	17. Careers

Rhoda Hamilton

The photoshoot was over. I couldn't win the Games with looks. Looks got me the sponsors, but it was my responsibility to give them their money's worth. Now that the cameras were off, I could get dirty. I was covered in sweat and my training suit was already ripped from practicing with an assistant. My hair was mussed and overall, I was a mess.

I had two skills to work on: swords and spears. Swords for when I wanted to kill something close to me, and spears for when I wanted to kill something far away. I found them fittingly symbolic of myself as a Career: a flashy sword for the part of me that posed for the cameras, and the impersonal, mundane spear for my practical side. In my heart, I favored the sword, but it was more because I was better at it than anything else. If I won, the pictures would be better if I was triumphantly holding up a sword, but whatever way I could win for my country was fine with me. Even if it was throwing a rock at someone.

There were poses in swordfights, but they weren't at all like modeling. Swordfighting put form before function. It took balance and agility, and it was much more defensive than people realized. There weren't many clashing blades and sweeping strikes in real life. Swordfighting was about the advantage of a longer reach and finishing the fight before the opponent could adjust for that. And while I knew the mechanics of advanced swordfighting, it wasn't likely I'd use them much in the Arena. Most people I'd be fighting were untrained. Fighting an untrained opponent had its own rules and techniques specifically designed to avoid beginner's luck or a fighter who so totally disregarded the rules that it caught you off guard.

Spears were easier. You chuck them at an opponent. That's pretty much it. It was about physics more than combat. Once I knew the correct way to hold the weapon, the rest was just practice. Nobody dueled with spears. There were no defensive moves. I just had to work on building accuracy and power.

I loved my fans, but it was nice to be in the training room where I didn't have to look pretty. Some days I wanted to wear stained sweatpants and eat potato chips. Instead of looking dainty and demure, I could make crazy faces while throwing a spear or end up in a very undignified pose while blocking a strike. Form doesn't mean anything without function.

* * *

Onyx Soul

I was playing the most delicate balancing game of us all. I hadn't gone to the Academy. It would look suspicious if I was suddenly good at everything. But it would look suspicious if I _didn't_ look good at everything, since nobody volunteered for me. I had to look above average, but also as if it came to me naturally and I hadn't practiced.

I was already thinking ahead to the Games. I knew I could kill people, and I knew it was easy. But I was only here because I didn't _want_ to kill people. Altruism only went so far, and I knew what I'd do if it was someone else or me, but I wasn't the same as the other Careers. I had the skills and the coldness, but not the heart.

I didn't know how many people in the Capitol knew about me. I'd never asked about the upper levels of the program, but we couldn't possibly have escaped Capitol detection for that long. The Capitol either started the program or was friendly with it. I was sure Snow knew about me, but I wasn't sure how far down the knowledge went. Probably to the trainers, I was just another Tribute. Maybe Azure and the other Career Victors knew. After what happened to Silken, it was obvious that the Capitol didn't want the word to spread far.

I was only playing pretend as I trained. I had plenty of time to look at the other Tributes. It was strange, but I envied them. They were all so different, and each one had a different expression on their face. I'd always been trained to be cold and collected. The other Tributes were acting like what we all were: a bunch of kids. Allecia and Socks were playing on the monkey bars, or at least Allecia was- Socks was still trying to pull himself up. Allecia was laughing as she tried to haul him on top of the bars so he could sit with her. Shane was swinging a stick like a madman and howling like a monkey. They were all so free with their emotions. They weren't controlled by them. I was the one controlled. I was never allowed to show my feelings like that. I had skills from the program that migbt let me win, but I wished I'd never heard of it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the program. I might have been a jewelry designer with moods as crazy as my pieces, or maybe I'd be married. I would have been able to listen to my emotions as well as my brain. As it was, I was living half a life.

* * *

Tuesday Erelle

Pray was no help, but after some pleading, Ava broke down and helped me find a recorder. I'd been training for years and three more days wouldn't help me. I could do whatever I wanted with training time. Most of the Careers were practicing their weapons in order to intimidate the others further, but I had something else in mind. Gigdet was a willing subject, probably because I was a big scary Career. As she was taking a breather from practice, I set up the recorder.

"I'm trying to get up profiles for all my fellow Tributes. What was your reaction to be Reaped?" I asked.

"Scared," Gidget said.

"And what are your thoughts on the Games in general?" I asked.

"I don't think I should talk about that," she said. I was getting nowhere fast, so I switched tactics.

"Let's go for a more human angle. What kind of things did you do for fun in Three?" I asked. Gigdet finallu started to open up. She smiled with embarrassment.

"I used to be kind of a party girl. I liked the nightlife and my friends. But then, well..." she gestured at her stomach.

"I think maybe that came from having fun, too," I said. She laughed.

"Yeah. But I'm an honest woman now... sort of," she said, and she showed me her ring.

"Now _that's_ a rock," I said admiringly. I'd forgotten all about the interview, and I snapped myself back to attention.

"Oh, yeah, the interview. You know what? Let's just wing it. I have a lot of questions I've been dying to ask the Tributes from other Districts," I said.

"Okay," Gidget said. She leaned forward as close to the table she could get with her shape.

"What do you think about us Careers?" I asked.

"Uh... we think you're super nice and we all love you," Gidget said.

"Okay, and now how about the real version?" I asked. Gidget fiddled with her hands.

"Can you just cut this part out? Because we're all terrified of you. We don't understand how you like this. You're the scariest thing we can imagine," she said.

 _I guess I don't know what I expected,_ I thought. I was getting some great stuff for my article, but I was making things harder for myself. I already knew I wasn't going to be able to kill Gidget now. I'd have to be careful not to get attached to my sources.

* * *

Jason Lenn

This was going to be the greatest adventure. There was nothing better than putting your skills to the test and putting your life on the line for the prize. I'd seen it so many times before on the screen. There were exotic locations I never could have seen otherwise, like tropical islands and frozen tundras. I'd seen fights that made my blood stir and I'd seen the change when a scared Tribute became a confident Victor. I wanted that, and I couldn't wait for the Games to start.

I looked forward to all of it, even the mundane things. It wasn't just the killing and fighting I wanted. I wanted to explore a new Arena and be with people just as devoted as I was. I wanted to see ferocious mutts and battle the elements and whatever else the Gamemakers threw at us. I'd been dreaming of something like this ever since I was little. I'd heard the stories and I knew right away I wanted to be a part of it.

Two was a proud District. We didn't waste our lives growing old. It was the best thing of all to end your life in a spurting blaze, when you were strong and independent. We couldn't understand why people clung to life until they were empty shells unable to stand up or turn over in bed without help. Better a short life with pride than decades of decay. I only wanted what we all wanted.

There was one other thing I wanted, but no one could ever know. It wasn't just anyone who told me those stories or sat next to me watching all those Games. My parents were supportive, but they weren't the ones who got the dream started. Someone else had that dream first, and then it was something we shared.

 _I want you with me._ I'd dreamed of victory, but I'd wanted to share it with Valerie. As I went through the Arena, I'd though I would remember the girl who showed me the way. She was supposed to be behind the scenes, waiting for me to join her. We were going to swap stories about our glory days and our daring deeds. I wanted to hate her more than anything, but it was only because of how much I still felt for her. She broke my heart when she died. I tried to hate her so I wouldn't have to think about how much I missed her. If I could see her again, even for a second, I'd forgive everything. I just wanted her back. The only place I knew to look was the Arena.

* * *

Rain Odessa

I had three days to fix the biggest mistake of my life. Three days wouldn't get me good enough at chucking spears or mixing poisons to put me in the same league as the other Careers. My only hope was a smart mentor.

"The Careers say they want me in the pack," I said. A few days ago, I would have taken that for granted. Now I knew I didn't know anything.

"They want your sponsors. They'll keep you around a few days because you're cute and they don't want to look bad. Sponsors don't care if they kill other Tributes, but killing allies without need is bad form," Careen said.

"Should I join?" I asked. I'd asked a million questions already. One of the few things I _did_ know for certain was that my judgement sucked.

"They'll kill you at the Bloodbath for sure if you don't," Careen said. "Join up and lay low. Act respectful and willing to learn, and wait until the second day to split. They'll be expecting you to leave at the Bloodbath or the first night if they think you've figured them out."

"How do you fight someone who's way bigger than you?" I asked, thinking less about Shane and more about the other Careers, since he was my District partner.

"I'm not an expert on that. Ask the assistants and in general, try to stay out of reach," she said.

"How did you win? You have to be more than just a Career, since there are usually six of us. What's that extra element?" I asked. She shrugged.

"It was a bit of luck, a lot of knowing what I was doing, and mostly adapting," she said.

"Do you think I can do it?" I asked.

"I've seen stranger things. If it was only about skill, we'd always win. The Victor isn't decided by who's the strongest. It comes from inside. You gotta have _heart._ It's hard to explain, but look at the others. Look at Tillo and Nubu. They weren't the strongest, not by far. But they had the heart. It's about how many times you can get back up. And you'll have to get back up a lot, a lot more than most Careers. I don't know if you have it yet. I haven't seen you fight. But you're learning and you're getting better. You're getting all you can from me. The rest is up to you."

* * *

Shane Donegal

None of the assistants knew how to use a shillelagh. I was on my own. I must have looked pretty cool training all by myself, swinging my weapon like a true warrior. I wouldn't

It was boring fighting by myself. I moved to the hand-to-hand combat station and tried my... hand. I wasn't so good at offensive, since I just started, but I could take a hit. I'd keep working on the other half. Then I took a few laps around the track to make sure I was still in shape. Even the best warriors have to run sometimes.

As I looked around at all the other Tributes, I wondered who my greatest opponent would turn out to be. Most likely one of the Careers, but I didn't want to start with them right away. We were allies, and I couldn't fight them all at once, which was what would happen if I took one of them on. I also didn't want my first fight to be with someone way smaller than me, like the little girl from Twelve. My money was on Jason for the last fight. He seemed pretty strong.

I trained as long as I could, but I was just a restless sort of boy. I already knew my stuff. This was basically just a dress rehearsal for me and the rest of the Careers. I needed to cut loose. All work and no play, you know? I was going to have to be on alert every moment in the Arena. This was my last chance to have some fun. I wanted to see what else was in the Capitol.

"Hey Jason, what do you say we blow this joint?" I asked.

"Nah, I gotta keep training. Early bird and all that, you know?" he said, still swinging his sword.

"Hey, Tuesday. Wanna come wreak havoc with me?" I asked.

"That sounds kind of fun. I can get some outsider input from the Capitolite audience," she said.

"Yeah, sure... or we could have fun," I said.


	18. Twelves

Allecia Callison

I was a small girl. I needed a small weapon. I could hardly lift a broadsword or battleax. A rondel was more my size. It was light and portable, and I could use it for other things in the Arena, from starting fires to making shelters.

I was hoping to fight like a ninja. People thought they were so super sneaky and good at fighting, but I heard somewhere they were actually kind of chicken. They knew they were super out of their league with the people they were fighting, so they tried to hit fast and then run. I wasn't about to chase someone down and rondel murder them. It would be more like they surprised me and I stuck a rondel into their leg and bolted while they were pulling it out.

I'd fiddled around with knives before. We weren't allowed to have weapons in Twelve, but no one got mad if you waved a butter knife around behind your house. The elements of knife fighting were simple. Mostly I just learned how to not stab myself by accident. I never would have volunteered in a million years and I'd have gotten myself killed if I did, but some knowledge was better than no knowledge.

Other than the Careers, there didn't seem to be any alliances this year. That wasn't good for the rest of us. Even Tributes who were older than me needed to stick together if we were going t survive the Careers. I knew I wanted a ton of allies. I wasn't cocky enough to think I wasn't one of the Careers' first targets. Unless I had some people between me and them, I was going down. The most obvious choice was other Tributes my age, like Martha, but I was hoping for some stronger allies as well.

I was a long shot. I knew that. It was nerve-wracking to know I had a week to make and put into action a plan that would save or end my life. There wasn't enough time to think of everything. I had to move quick just to ensure I got some allies. I didn't even know how to make myself look appealing. Who would want to ally with a little girl?

* * *

Martha Lewis

That weird socks kid was next to me at the knot-tying station. I'd been working with the knives and I learned all I could, but I also knew it was important not to forget the more mundane skills. I might have to climb a tree and tie myselt into place, or suppose I made a bolo and the strings broke. Knots were important.

Knot tying was also important for one other reason: all the other Tributes thought it really _was_ **stupid. I had only one advantage. Everyone else thought I wasn't a threat, which was true. My only hope was that eternal long shot all Tributes like me hoped for: that everyone else would forget about us and we could sneak around until the finale. It had worked a few times in the past. It was the only way Six** ** _ever_** **got Victors. Maybe if they weren't sampling so much of their own product (though why the transportation District handled so much morphling was beyond me. Maybe it was in the ambulances?) they'd have more winnners.**

I kept an eye on the other Tributes while I practiced. It might be good for me to have an ally if I found someone I could trust. We could take turns keeping watch. I didn't want a lot of allies, since I was trying to be sneaky, but one could be good. It would have to be someone like me in ability, so they wouldn't think I was a burden or an easy target. Definitely not Socks, though, for obvious reasons.

Socks was creeping me out, so I moved to the survival station. I skipped the fire parts. Fires attracted attention, both in training and in the Arena. I was going to need a way to find food, so I tried making some fishhooks. It wasn't that complicated, and it was good to know I might be able to catch some dinners in the Arena. I studied a few of the more conspicuous edible plants from different environments to hedge my bets. In the end, I wasn't really looking to win. I was looking to survive.

* * *

Socks Kelarck

All the other Tributes in the room with me seemed to know what they were doing. I tried to do the same. I took a spot next to a girl at the knot-tying station and copied her moves. She was really good at tying knots. I had to move really quickly to keep up with her. But it paid off, because I learned to tie some knots. Then she suddenly got up and moved away, so I went to copy someone else.

The edible plants station was the best one for me. The lady there held up a plant and I had to find the same plant from a big bin. She didn't get creeped out that I was copying her, since that was what I was supposed to do. I wasn't sure any of the plants stuck with me, though, since I focused more on matching the plant in her hand than what the plant actually looked like.

Imitating the boy on the ropes course didn't work so well. I found out I wasn't good at climbing and I almost broke my neck. The agility course was obviously not for me, and I didn't even try it. There were a lot of things I wasn't good at, but at least I had ropes and plants.

Maybe I needed a weapon. The Careers would know about that. I followed one of them to the swords station and picked one up. The boy seemed really good at fighting. That must be why he was a Career. I tried to move around the same way, but the sword was heavy and it was hard to move it that fast. The boy noticed me and stopped.

"What's your deal?" he asked.

"I want to learn how to fight. You looked like you knew," I said.

"You're cramping my style, weirdo. Why don't you go shoot some arrows or something? Something somewhere else," he said. The other Careers had similar reactions. Some people weren't very friendly.


	19. Vowel Names and Slater

Slater Hematite

Life is so fragile. It took a million steps for something alive to knit itself together from raw materials. The simplest amino acid had ten different atoms in it. If they didn't fall together just right, there was no amino acid. If they didn't fall in the right order, there was no amino acid. Amino acids came together to make proteins. The simplest protein had seventeen amino acids. If any of them were damaged, if any of them were in the wrong order, if any of them didn't fold at just the right angle, there was no protein. There were around 50,000 proteins in a human body, most of which had more than 100 amino acids, all just in the right place. The number of chances, coincidences, and perfect, unbroken sequences required for life astounded me. The odds against it happening by chance were so ridiculously astronomical I sometimes thought it wasn't chance at all. But there was something else that also astounded me, something much more relevant: how easy it was to wipe all that away.

Life was a mathematical impossibility, as unlikely as me getting struck by lightning once a day for my entire life. But something that required one perfect set of acids, proteins, and so much more had a million and one ways to destroy it. I favored a bow and arrow, or sometimes knives. There were a million weapons I could have used, and a dozen spots that were fatal if damaged. Killing was a science as much as life was. I may have seen magic in the impossible coincidences of life, but I had no such sentimentality about death. It was the result of lack of oxygen to the brain, and nothing more. I didn't do it if I didn't have to because I'd get in trouble and because everyone knew it was wrong, but it didn't bother me. I was doing what I had to do to get back to my daughter. I felt bad for the Victors who weren't Careers. This actually bothered them.

I killed a Tribute fascimile with an arrow to the head. I killed another with a shot to the chest. I stabbed one with a dagger and knew it wouldn't die immediately, but its blood would leak out until there was none left. I was glad my victims weren't real, but I knew that for the ones that were, it would be just the same.

* * *

Gray Eamon Arden

I only had a few days. I couldn't learn to fight like a Career. The best case scenario was I learned enough to give me an edge and that the edge was exactly the one I needed.

Fighting was beyond me, but surviving was mandatory. I stared at the pictures at the edible plants station. They all looked the same at first. Skinny leaves, furry leaves, fat leaves. It was impossible to tell parsnips from hemlock. I could only try to memorize a few of the obvious ones that didn't happen to also look like poisonous plants.

One of the plants was familiar. I wished it wasn't. The plant, called "lamb's quarter", had wide, club-shaped leaves. The description said it was edible. It should have been good to see an edible plant I knew I'd recognize, but it broke my heart. I recognized the plant because it grew all around our house. All those years we starved, every day that Ella grew thinner, we were surrounded by food. When I left the house, I stepped on plants that could have saved her.

Why couldn't they teach this in school? This could have saved lives. We learned about Panem, and the Capitol, and the Dark Days, but we didn't learn about plants that could have fed us. It would have been so easy. It would have taken ten minutes to show us a list of plants. It took them ten minutes to play that stupid video before every Reaping. It took longer than that to prick all of our fingers.

I didn't want to look at more plants after that. I moved on to the hand-to-hand station. I wanted to punch something.

* * *

Kuma Swain

The Careers were something else. Most of us dreaded them and so did I, but I could still admire them. I saw them training together, matching weapons and learning each others' strengths and weaknesses so they could be a better team. Their movements showed the result of years of disciplined training- the repetition and monotony of thousands of drills and exercises, repeated until everything was mastered. They gave their entire hearts to their goals. There was nothing I hated more than someone who didn't pull his weight. For all their faults, the Careers weren't like that.

It was their goal that was the problem. The Capitol tried to divide us by marking out the Districts and pitting us against each other in the Games, but there was one thing that united us all. We all hated them, and we all hated the Games. We all hated the government-sanctioned murder of twenty-three children every year. The Careers not only accepted it, they embraced it. I couldn't understand how they could do it. They worked so hard- they devoted their entire, often short, lives- to something like murder.

I'd always hated and begrudgingly respected them, but I was starting to pity them. It was a loss for us all that they were so twisted. The Careers I saw pushing their bodies to the limit were warriors. They earned their skills with determination and perseverance. If they'd only been devoted to good, Panem might be entirely different. People that determined might have found a way to feed everyone in Panem. They might have invented something that meant nobody had to work in the fields. The Careers were some of the brightest young men and women in the nation. If they wanted to, they might be able to overthrow the Capitol. But instead they worked for its glory. That was the Capitol's greatest victory.

* * *

Tillia Raven

I needed to show the others I wasn't someone to be messed with. I went to the knives station and got to work. I picked a wicked-looking dagger and started to savage my opponent. The dummy didn't stand a chance against my assault. I tore right through its tough fabric exterior and spilled its stuffing on the ground.

Physical strength wasn't enough. The greatest part of the battle was fought in the mind. Tributes wouldn't fight me if they were terrified. I needed to intimidate them. I didn't have to be this savage in the Arena. I just needed them to think I would be.

I raised my voice with each new strike, until I was shouting as I ripped the dummy apart. I made my strikes more sweeping and brutal, hacking at the dummy and ripping its limbs until the stitches tore loose and it fell to pieces. I ran the knife lightly along my finger like I was relishing the violence, being careful not to nick myself. I shoved the blade through the dummy's head and left it sticking out as I turned, leaving the dummy behind like I'd never cared about it.

My plan was obviously effective. Half the Tributes in the room were looking at me. The girl from Five was looking at me with big bug eyes. Eddin was backing away from me slowly. The boy from Four was so disgusted by my brutal display that he had his hands over his mouth and he was shaking. They were all terrified. I had nothing to worry about in the Bloodbath.

* * *

 **Slater's a Career but I forgot so I wrote him here. Allecia commented on the lack of alliances because I don't assign allies. Submitters can decide who they want to ally with and send messages amongst themselves. So at this point, the only alliance is the Careers. Kuma wanted to ally with some Tributes but I forgot who they were and lost the message, so I'll write that once I find them.**


	20. Some Non-Frontrunners

Caine Karpos

The training room was closed for the day. That meant I was loosed upon the Capitol. I had an entire building to explore. The girl from Six had the same idea, since she bolted down the hall as soon as the training room was closed, just like me. The Careers clustered together and headed back to their rooms like a bunch of stiffs.

I didn't know where to go first. There were so many floors. I couldn't even start at any one place because I couldn't decide what floor I even wanted. The building went up and up forever. It was way taller than anything we had in Nine. We didn't even have mountains this high in Nine.

It turned out the building was so big because it had literally everything. There was a shopping mall, a water park, a movie theater, a rock-climbing wall, and an indoor baseball diamond. It would have taken a normal person years to see it all. Me, I could probably see it in a week.

It took a lot to attract my attention in a place like this, and it was hard to focus on anything in particular. But the commotion from the dimly lit enclave tucked to one side was enough to make even me look twice. I poked my head in and saw that Six girl again. She was sitting in some sort of machine, yanking a wheel with both hands and making car noises.

"Hey, what gives?" I asked. She looked up from the screen she was in front of.

"Just racing," she said, still steering without looking.

"You good at it?" I asked.

"I'm the best," she boasted.

"I dunno. I think you look pretty mediocre," I said, like a farmer from Nine would know anything about cars. Especially as much as a girl from Six. But when it came to showing off, my mouth was even faster than my brain.

"You wanna find out?" she asked with a daring grin.

"You bet," I said.

I shouldn't have found out.

* * *

Ferrari Benz

Training was a blast. I loved watching the Careers killing it as they practiced on each other. I also loved finding my own weapon and trying my best not to kill myself. That was a difficult prospect for me, since I was me. I looked through the weapons and right away picked the most insane, ridiculous thing imaginable.

They called it a "urumi". Basically it was a whip, which was already the craziest weapon ever. Then whoever made it decided it wasn't crazy enough, so he made a whip out of knives. It was the kind of weapon a chest-thumping weapons nut would make after he took a bet that he could make something crazier than a bolo. The assistant said the hardest part was getting good enough to use it without slashing yourself to ribbons. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

All the same, I was also happy when training was over. I was super excited to explore the Games room and see what sort of cool stuff they had in the Capitol. As soon as the doors were shut, I was off like a shot.

They had all the cool stuff in the Capitol. I tried the rock-climbing wall, the roller coaster that went over the edge of the roof of the building, the trampoline slingshot, and the "corn dogs", which were super good. It was then I saw... the arcade.

Capitolites were crazy. Instead of driving around in the cars they all owned, they made fake cars and put them in front of a computer so you could fake drive. But that was good enough for me. I hopped into a sweet technicolor speedster and provided my own sound effects as I roared down a science fiction landscape.

"Hey, what gives?" the boy from Nine called from the edge of the arcade.

"Just racing," I said.

"You good at it?" he asked.

"I'm the best," I said.

"I dunno. I think you look pretty mediocre," he said.

"You wanna find out?"

* * *

Lily White

There were a lot of stations. I tried them all, except the high-profile weapons. I didn't want anyone to think I would attack them. I didn't want anyone to think of me at all. The only things I tried that could be called weapons were snares and darts. Snares were safe because I only made small traps and anyone who looked at me might think I was just trying to hunt. Darts were okay because I didn't actually go to the darts station. A blowgun was pretty idiot-proof- just point and blow. I went to the plants station instead and made a note of any of them that were poisonous to touch. The edible insects station also provided some options.

By the end of the day, I was a jack of all trades. I knew a few things about fire making, shelter building, weaving, navigation, water purification and safety, knot tying, fishhooks and fishing, ropes, camouflage, and body mechanics. I didn't know the second thing about anything, but I knew the first thing about everything.

The thing I wanted to train in most was the one I couldn't do until after training was done. What I wanted more than anything else was to run. I wasn't one of the betting favorites. I wasn't even in the middle of the pack. I was in the back, with Socks and Tillia. The only way I could possibly escape the Bloodbath was by outrunning death. After training was over, I found Orchard and we snuck to a dark corner staircase of the Games building. I didn't want anyone to see I how fast I could run. No one was watching in a place like this.

"Why am I here? There are trainers who know all about running," Orchard said at the bottom of the stairs. I wanted to make things even harder so that running on flat ground would be a breeze.

"They won't be as hard on me," I said. "And you know more about running since you did it for real. Did you do a lot of running in the Arena?"

"I did a lot of chasing," she said, and her voice was far away. Maybe that was why was so hard on me.

* * *

Sita Alaya

There likely wouldn't be electricity in the Arena. If there was, I wasn't confident I would be able to utilize it. Tributes had made weapons and machines before, but it took genius. I was good with machines, but I wasn't a genius. I was practical, not theoretical. In an indoor Arena, I could use what was there. In an outdoor Arena, I wouldn't be able to make a robot out of a paper clip and some tin foil like some Tributes could. Either way, I had to focus on something else.

Snares were a lot like machinery. Just like a circuit, a snare had a number of components that each had to work in the correct order. The components were just a lot more basic, and that made them easier to master in a short time. A snare consisted of just a noose, and anchor, and a trigger. They could be made of wire, string, or vines. They could be used anywhere from tundra to desert. They could catch small animals or larger prey.

Snares also solved my biggest problem. I wanted to avoid confrontation in the Arena, but I also wanted to win. I couldn't win if everyone else was still around. With a snare, I could run away while they were dangling.

There were two places a snare loop could snag: the leg or the neck. Hooking a Tribute by the leg meant I could run. But I couldn't run forever. I couldn't avoid confrontation forever. My snares started to change in design as I thought about it. It was simple math. Only one could live. If I wanted to live, all the others had to die. Catching them in snares wasn't enough. My first snares targeted the leg. By the time training was over, I was making snares for the neck.

* * *

 **I now interrupt my story to tell everyone that Lily is sixteen. It's on the Tribute list but it's easy to miss. Maybe that will help her be her own person more.**


	21. Girls

Gidget Ford

There were a lot of options that were impossible for me. Swords were not going to happen, not with my lack of striking space. Camouflage didn't work miracles. I was not hideable. Not unless I disguised myself as a boulder. I was pretty sure I would snap a bow if I tried to sling it across myself. And so I settled on throwing knives.

This is so cliché, I thought as I tried to learn. But it could have been worse. I wasn't a Career. It was somewhat more unique for someone from three. We tended to be eggheads. Unfortunately, an egghead I was not.

It may have been a pipe dream, but I would have liked some allies. It made me sick to see the Careers eyeing the younger Tributes like wolves. Maybe it was the hormones talking, but I wanted to see them safe. And it definitely wasn't just the hormones talking, because I wanted allies for my own preservation, too. I wasn't quite in shape for fighting. I could throw knives from afar and try to waddle to safety, but it would be easier with allies.

Ideally I'd have about four allies. Maybe two young ones to round us out and to keep my morality in place, and then two my age or older to protect us all. It would be best if I could find some close-range fighters. The younger ones could find food, I'd scare off enemies before they got close, and the others would take care of the ones that didn't heed my warning.

There was another reason I wanted young allies. I knew my chances. Pretty faces and sad stories (and I had of those two) didn't win the Games. I'd do my best to get home to my family, but my little girl was going to have make to with a wonderful father. Eventually she was going to watch the tapes, and I wanted her to see her mother's love. If I couldn't show it to her, I could show it to some other girl. I hoped she would know what I was trying to say.

* * *

Violet Robbins

When I was done at the first aid station, I moved on to the plants table. I knew I could eat just about any insect- there were only a handful in the country that were poisonous to humans, like monarch butterflies. If I could pick up just a few plants, I'd be able to eat anywhere.

The plants table was covered in bowls with samples of the plants. I picked one of them at random and looked inside.

"That one's good to eat," the assistant said. I was curious, so I took one of the leaves and ate it. It was yucky and strong, like spinach, but it wasn't disgusting. But something was wrong. My face felt hot, and then my throat started to swell. I had a horrible feeling I'd felt before in the past, and I looked down the table to confirm my suspicions.

"What's wrong?" the assistant asked. I couldn't speak at that point. My throat was so tight I couldn't even breathe. I pointed down the table at a bowl of butternuts. The assistant saw them and bolted for the door. He knew what was up.

I was allergic to nuts. After the first reaction, I'd only had two more in my life. We didn't have money for that kind of medicine in Seven. I was just lucky my reactions hadn't been severe enough to kill me. Whoever set up the table must have cross-contaminated the nuts and the leaves. Neither were poisonous, so there would have been no reason to worry for most people. I struggled to breathe as hives broke out over my skin.

The assistant was back in record time. He jammed a needle into my arm and my throat cleared like lightning. If we had that stuff in Seven, I'd be a happy camper. I sucked in breath gratefully and looked around the room. The others were all staring at me, since I was leaned over the table and my face was red and puffy.

* * *

Briar Hampton

I had a bag full of confetti, a balloon, and a thumbtack. That was all I needed to wreak havoc. With a little difficulty, I managed to stuff the confetti into the balloon and blow it up. I taped it to the wall behind the door that lead into Ten's lounge. I taped the thumbtack to the door, pointy side out, and waited for the big moment. Calvary was supposed to meet with me in a few minutes to go over our strategy. This was going to be great.

I waited by the door with eager anticipation, and I grinned when I heard Calvary's footsteps down the hall. The doorknob twisted, and the door swung open.

Everything worked perfectly. The thumbtack pressed into the balloon. There was a huge pop and the balloon burst, raining confetti down on Calvary. Calvary jumped a foot into the air and slammed the door into the wall. She tore it back open and threw a punch behind the wall, but no one was there, so she just punched air. She turned back, noticed me, and folded her arms, trying to look serious with confetti sprinkling from her hair.

"I suppose you think this is funny," she said. I was giggling too much to answer.

"Did you maybe think that pranking someone who's been in the Arena might not be a good idea?" she asked.

"Ohh... sorry," I said.

"You're just lucky it wasn't Cornflower. She would have started bashing herself in the head and done that creepy rocking chant thing," Calvary said. She picked at a clump of her hair and examined the handful of confetti.

"I'll be more thoughtful next time," I said.

"Maybe it _was_ a _little_ funny."


	22. Boys

Quinn Grice

There was one good thing about getting Reaped. My bad thoughts only happened about people I was close to, like my family. Now I was in the Capitol, and I wasn't near anyone I knew anymore. As scary as it was, it was a wonderful relief to not have my brain screaming at me every second. I felt so good I decided to see the Games therapist and see if I couldn't learn some things that might help me if I ever got back.

The medical center receptionist was happy to see me. Therapists were provided to help the Tributes mentally prepare for the Games, but most of us didn't even think of it. It might have been good if more of us did. Then things like Titus might not have happened. There were two therapists, a man and a woman. That was nice of them. I went with the man and told him what was wrong.

"It's okay to have thoughts like that," he said. "It's normal. Everyone has them sometimes. It becomes more of a bother when they won't go away. Is that what happens with you?"

"They never stop. They're there all the time. I know everybody thinks them once in a while, but it must be bad if they happen so much," I said.

"There aren't any good or bad thoughts. There are only good or bad actions. Maybe you want to do something bad, but you don't. You're not bad because you wanted to do it. You're good because you

"Try to think of your thoughts as just chemical reactions. They're reflexes, like pulling away from something hot. Instead of judging them and yourself as bad, pull back and look at them as just thoughts. They're going to be there, but you don't have to act on them. You're in control, not them," he said.

We talked some more, and I felt a lot better when I left. He said I could come back if I wanted, and I did want to. It was important to prepare your body for the Games, but it was also important to prepare your mind. The mind controlled the body, just like I controlled my actions.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

Me and Ferrari had it rough. All the other Tributes had mentors. I didn't want to be rude, but Toby and Lena were... differently abled. But then, at least we had mentors. The two from Nine were stuck with their escort. He seemed like the kind of guy who would actually lower their chances.

But that wasn't going to stop me. If I had to do it myself, that would just make me prouder if I actually pulled it off. I spent most of my time at the javelin station, but I was doing double duty. While I practiced, I was also watching the other Tributes. I wanted to see who was dangerous and who might be an ally. It was polite to ask your District partner first if you wanted allies, but Ferarri was too loud. I hoped she did well, but I'd never be able to lie low with her for a partner.

It would be ideal to find someone whose skills were the opposite of mine. If I knew how to use a weapon, it would be best to find someone who could find food or do first aid. Maybe Violet would be interested. Some of the others were counting her out after the incident last night, but I was at the next station over and saw what really happened. As long as the Arena wasn't a peanut farm, we'd be okay.

I watched the Careers and tried not to give them the evil eye. I could see they already thought they'd won. They thought just because they came from the Career Districts and had the best training, that the rest of us didn't stand a chance. Victors weren't born. They were made. Why else would there be just as many from outliyng Districts as there were from One, Two and Four? Tose three Districts had a disproportionate amount of Victors, but they weren't invincible. It was easy for them to rest on their laurels and underestimate everyone else.

All of us decided our own fate. They got themselves into the Games because everyone around them said it was right. All but maybe one of them would die because of that. I was here by force, but that didn't decide whether I lived or died. I defined my own path. Maybe I'd die trying, but it wouldn't be because of my birth or because of my upbringing. It would just be because of me.

* * *

Eddin Cavitch

I was not an inconspicuous person. For me, making a shelter was a prodigious undertaking. I couldn't hide behind a rock like most people, not unless the rock was the size of a truck. But that wasn't entirely bad. Other than the Careers, most Tributes wouldn't attack me. Not unless they were the size of a truck.

I'd been wandering between the stations since training began. I started to gravitate toward the survival stations, since fighting non-Careers wasn't likely to be a problem and fighting Careers was a lost cause. It would have been nice to have classes like this in the Districts. We wouldn't be so hungry if we knew all these plants and how to fish. We wouldn't have been so sad, either. It would be good for the Capitol. They wouldn't have to worry about us rebelling if they gave us some food. We had humble desires.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to ally or not. There was safety in numbers, but I didn't trust myself. It wasn't that I was going to hurt my ally. Quite the opposite- I knew I'd get attached. Once I'd made a friend, I was stuck for life. I'd never leave my ally even if they were hurt, and I'd probably get myself killed trying to help him or her. There were a lot of friendly-looking, capable Tributes training with me, but I didn't dare get to know them better.

It didn't do any good to think about the Arena. It was going to come and that was that. It was better to focus on preparation and think ahead to what could happen if I won. I wouldn't have to live in the group home anymore. Jaime and I could live in the Victor's Village and be happy. We could buy presents for everyone we left behind. Something good could come out of anything, even the Games.

* * *

Keylor Herald

I didn't even want to show my face in the training room after the parade. That was _not_ what I meant by redwood. I looked like an idiot out there. It was not an auspicious start.

After _that_ disaster, I needed to step it up if I didn't want to be everyone's first target. As it was, I was completely unfamiliar with any sort of weaponry outside of axes. It would have been ideal to know a little more, but there was an upside. Had I known about a sensible weapon, I would have been almost forced to use it, since it would be the sensible option. Since I was equally ignorant on all weapons, I could choose a cool one to work with. And so I chose the falchion, because it sounded like "falcon". And also because it was a functional sword that wasn't heavy.

It was nice that Paul wasn't there in the training room. He was a good mentor, but we were nothing alike. He won by fighting only when he had to and keeping things sensible. I wanted to be more proactive and I was looking forward to exploring the Arena, even if I didn't necessarily want to stumble across other Tributes. He was all about caution, and I was all about action.

However terrible it was to be Reaped, I was excited about the Arena. It could be anything. I hoped it was anything but a forest. I wanted to see sand dunes or tundra or tropical islands. If I had to die young, let me at least see adventure first. And if I did die, I hoped it was spectacularly. I had so many plans for the future, and the most important was to do something great enough to get me remembered. That could still happen in the Arena. I could die fighting three Careers while my ally escaped, or I could leap off a waterfall instead of being ripped to shreds by some horrible mutt. If I couldn't live hard, I wanted to die hard.


	23. Private Session Report

ATTN: HEAD GAMEMAKER TITIAN QIN

PRIVATE SESSION REPORT

THEODORA HARP AND HER LOVE MUFFIN

"That's real mature, Harley."

"I think you mean Love Muffin."

"You better get to work unless you want to get fired, secretary."

"Bully."

* * *

DISTRICT ONE MALE

NAME: ONYX SOUL

SKILLS ASSESSED: SPEARS AND DUAL KNIVES

Onyx wasted little time with the spears. He threw one expertly to show his skill and moved on to his preferred skill, dual knives. He bested our most advanced assistant quickly and showed little exertion.

STRENGTHS: Weapons, control of emotions, background

WEAKNESSES: See confidential report

ODDS: 10:1 not adjusted (CONFIDENTIAL: actual odds much lower. See report)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Anhedonia

SCORE: 10

NOTES: Apparently Onyx is some super cool spy or something. I'm not allowed to read the report, but I attached it for you.

* * *

DISTRICT ONE FEMALE

NAME: RHODA HAMILTON

SKILLS ASSESSED: SWORDS, SPEARS, FIREMAKING

Rhoda divided her time equally between the three skills. She was highly adept at both weapons. She was less skilled but skill adequate in firemaking. Her style was stylish but still functional. Also, she's totally gorgeous.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skills, extreme popularity, likely favorite of Snow

WEAKNESSES: May be seen as a target by other Careers who resent her fame

ODDS: 12:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Healthy

SCORE: 9

NOTES: If someone hadn't gotten herself fired, she could have gotten me an autograph.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO MALE

NAME: JASON LENN

SKILLS ASSESSED: MACHETE, CAMOUFLAGE

It is clear Jason is a fighter, not a runner. He performed better with the machete and enjoyed it more than camouflage. His style is brutal and angry, but effective. He is a capable and worthy Career.

STRENGTHS: Rage, weapons skills, and physical strength

WEAKNESSES: Lack of popularity in his District due to his sister's performance, hotheadedness

ODDS: 14:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Agression stemming from resentment over his sister

SCORE: 8

NOTES: Maybe you can make up for her.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

NAME: TUESDAY ERELLE

SKILLS ASSESSED: MORNINGSTARS, HALBERD

Tuesday was perhaps more interested in appearance than performance, but she still performed well. According to our combat specialist, many of her moves were ornamental, but the ones that were useful were executed well.

STRENGTHS: Weapons skills, likeability

WEAKNESSES: Weakness for flashiness, suspect motivation for volunteering, lack of bloodthirstiness

ODDS: 16:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Tuesday is exceptionally curious

SCORE: 8

NOTES: Tuesday's child is full of grace.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE MALE

NAME: QUINTIC GRICE

SKILLS ASSESSED: DAGGER, HAND-TO-HAND, BODY LANGUAGE

Quintic showed passing skills in his weapons. He then turned to us and stared for some time at Theodora. He announced "you've been drinking" and left without explanation. We assume he was analyzing her body language. But with Theodora, "you've been drinking" is always a good guess.

STRENGTHS: Jack of all trades, unlikely to attract attacks quickly

WEAKNESSES: Mental state, lack of combat training

ODDS: 26:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Quintic suffers from Harm OCD. His therapist has said he is responding well to treatment.

SCORE: 5

NOTES: He's boring. I got nothing.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE FEMALE

NAME: GIDGET FORD

SKILLS ASSESSED: INTELLIGENCE, KNIFE THROWING

Few Tributes ever use our intelligence testing machine. Gidget scored very highly. She was unconfident in knife throwing but performed well for someone with so little training. Her movements were hampered by her baby bump. The doctors have informed us she is expected to deliver before the Games. If she has not delivered before the day of the launch, she has been granted permission to have an induced labor.

STRENGTHS: No one wants to kill a very new mother. She is likely to attract sponsors. She will have an especially high drive to win.

WEAKNESSES: She'll be exhausted and damaged from childbirth.

ODDS: 40:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Normal

SCORE: 7

NOTES: That ain't right.

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR MALE

NAME: SHANE DONEGAL

SKILLS ASSESSED: SHILLAYLIE... SHALAIEE... STICK

I didn't think it was possible, but Shane wreaked havoc with nothing but a stick. He smashed everything he could and sent the assistant running for cover. What he lacks in finesse he makes up for in enthusiasm. He is certainly a formidable opponent.

STRENGTHS: Smashing things

WEAKNESSES: Restraint

ODDS: 12:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Surprisingly, nothing.

SCORE: 8

NOTES: That was... interesting.

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE

NAME: RAIN ODESSA

SKILLS ASSESSED: HAND TO HAND, DAGGER

Rain was good and all. Way better than most people her age. But she's not as good as the other Careers. I don't know what she was thinking. She doesn't seem to, either, since she was obviously nervous.

STRENGTHS: Above average weapons skills, cuteness factor

WEAKNESSES: Youth, much stronger allies, obviously overconfident, lack of support from Four

ODDS: 20:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 8

NOTES: Someone was too big for their britches

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE MALE

NAME: SLATER HEMATITE

SKILLS ASSESSED: HAND TO HAND, ARCHERY

Slater was good at both his weapons. His performance wasn't very exciting, but it got the job done. He was oddly skilled for someone not from the Career Districts.

STRENGTHS: Weapons stuff, the usual

WEAKNESSES: Boring

ODDS: 16:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 8

NOTES: That's weird you're so good and all, but you're still boring.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE FEMALE

NAME: SITA ALAYA

SKILLS ASSESSED: SNARES

Sita knew her stuff. She has been studying hard and it has paid off. It is hard to judge snares because assistants aren't the same as animals, but we account for that in our judging. She caught an assistant in her snare and held a knife to his throat.

STRENGTHS: Quick-thinking, mechanically oriented

WEAKNESSES: Lack of physical strength, lack of weapons

ODDS: 22:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 7

NOTES: I don't know if it will be as easy holding a knife to a real person.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX MALE

NAME: LUCIUS PETROL

SKILLS ASSESSED: JAVELIN

Lucius was resoundingly average. He was okay at close quarters with his javelin and okay at long range. He's not great, but he's also not terrible.

STRENGTHS: Optimism, willingness to learn and adapt

WEAKNESSES: Lack of fighting skills, mediocrity

ODDS: 24:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 6

NOTES: At least you're not ugly.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX MALE

NAME: FERARRI BENZ

SKILLS ASSESSED: URUMI, FIREMAKING

Ferarri was very enthusiastic about her urumi. She wasn't overboard like Shane, but she clearly enjoyed using her weapon. She was matter-of-fact about the fire and left it burning as she went back to the urumi

STRENGTHS: Confidence, average weapons skills, basic survival skills, pizzazz

WEAKNESSES: Does not know plants or how to find water, is not as strong as many Tributes

ODDS: 23:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Extreme risk-taker

SCORE: 6

NOTES: You'll win big or lose big. No in between for you.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN MALE

NAME: KEYLOR HERALD

SKILLS ASSESSED: FALCHION

Keylor was not trained as much as the Careers, but he made up for it admirably. He wielded his weapon competently. His only issue was that he asked for an assistant beyond his ability. He held up well but would not have survived such a fight in the Arena.

STRENGTHS: Confident, willing to fight

WEAKNESSES: Overconfident, aggressive

ODDS: 20:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 6

NOTES: I'm pretty sure that's illegal to write about a minor, Theodora.

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE

NAME: VIOLET ROBBINS

SKILLS ASSESSED: WEAPONS, TRAPS, SHELTERS

Violet crammed in as much as she could. She barely had time to make a shelter, but she showed a variety of other skills. She wasn't an expert in any of them but was passable in all.

STRENGTHS: Wide range of skills, unassuming nature

WEAKNESSES: Possible Bloodbath target, lack of any one solid skill

ODDS: 26:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 7

NOTES: That might work. Boy wouldn't the Careers be embarrassed.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT MALE

NAME: EDDIN CAVITCH

SKILLS ASSESSED: WEIGHT LIFTING, KNIVES

Eddin was very impressive. He was also good with his skills. He lifted the heaviest weights and was more interested in that than in knives, which he appeared to use just to show he could if he had to.

STRENGTHS: Strength, looks, quiet, imposing

WEAKNESSES: Not bloodthirsty, hesitant to fight, large target

ODDS: 20:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 6

NOTES: You're making me wish I wasn't taken. ( _Oh but THAT'S okay to write?_ )

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT FEMALE

NAME: MARTHA LEWIS

SKILLS ASSESSED: KNIVES

Martha was better than expected with the knives. She wasn't as good as the Careers, of course, but anyone else who attacks her will be surprised.

STRENGTHS: Knives, probably underestimated

WEAKNESSES: Not imposing, will be targeted by Careers

ODDS: 24:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 7

NOTES: Eight is weird. Why do we need a whole District for fabric? What even does "textiles" mean? Why not just say "fabric"?

* * *

DISTRICT NINE MALE

NAME: CAINE KARPOS

SKILLS ASSESSED: SURVIVAL SKILLS

Caine took a conservative approach. He built a shelter and identified plants. His plant knowledge would suffice in an outdoor Arena. He was unable to finish his shelter in time because he built it too large.

STRENGTHS: Survival, ambition

WEAKNESSES: Ambition, possible arrogance, no weapons skills

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

ODDS: 24:1

SCORE: 5

NOTES: If you hadn't built a mansion you might have gotten done.

* * *

DISTRICT NINE FEMALE

NAME: TILLIA RAVEN

SKILLS ASSESSED: KNIVES

Tillia was a piece of work. She slaughtered a bunch of dummies until they looked like a tornado went through the session room. Then she placed the scraps in a pot and announced that they were soup.

STRENGTHS: Ferocity, lack of scruples, enthusiasm

WEAKNESSES: Overconfidece, extremely bizarre reason for volunteering, instability

ODDS: 48:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: The doctors say nothing, but I'm pretty sure they're wrong

SCORE: 9

NOTES: Y'all creep me out so I gave you a high score so the Careers would kill you.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN MALE

NAMES: SOMA KELARCK

SKILLS ASSESSED: WEAVING

Soma was okay at weaving. He didn't seem to know what he was doing and kept looking at the assistants for guidance. He kept weaving until time ran out. He kept staring at the assistants' feet.

STRENGTHS: Weaving

WEAKNESSES: Not weaving

ODDS: 60:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Pervasive development disorder not otherwise specifided (PD-NSS)

NOTES: That's almost as bad as the pregnant girl.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN FEMALE

NAME: BRIAR HAMPTON

SKILLS ASSESSED: CLEAVERS

Cleavers are an odd choice. It's hard to imagine killing someone with a cleaver unless they're standing still. I wouldn't want to get close to Briar, though. Those cleavers mean business.

STRENGTHS: Cleavers, optimistic nature

WEAKNESSES: Long-range fighting, slender frame

ODDS: 30:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 5

NOTES: At least you'll have fun before you die.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN MALE

NAME: KUMA SWAIN

SKILLS ASSESSED: EDIBLE PLANTS, MACHETE

Kuma showed impressive memory skills identifying the plants. His machete skills were admirable but he would not be able to fight a Career.

STRENGTHS: Well-rounded, able to survive in most environments

WEAKNESSES: May be targeted by the Careers as a threat

ODDS: 18:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 7

NOTES: I like you. You seem nice.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN FEMALE

NAME: LILY WHITE

SKILLS ASSESSED: RUNNING

Lily was average in running. It was somewhat impressive considering her lackluster frame that she could run that fast, though. She wisely focused on short distances, no doubt thinking of the Bloodbath.

STRENGTHS: Running, doesn't pick fights

WEAKNESSES: Not strong, no weapons, easy target

ODDS: 36:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 5

NOTES: Wait, who's the Eleven female again?

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE MALE

NAME: GREY EAMON ARDEN

SKILLS ASSESSED: HAND TO HAND, SURVIVAL

Grey is clearly taking a defensive approach. His combat skills focused on avoiding and retreating. He was more interested in survival skills, indicating he wants to outlast, not outfight.

STRENGTHS: Conservative strategy, well-rounded skills, realistic

WEAKNESSES: Possible Career target, lack of ferocity

ODDS: 18:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 9

NOTES: Maybe should have pulled back a bit. The Careers will be angry.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE FEMALE

NAME: ALLECIA CALLISON

SKILLS ASSESSED: RONDEL

Allecia was what one would expect from a 12-year-old. She had spirit and she did her best, but it was nothing to be scared of. Some opponents may think twice if they do not want to risk injury. She can't win, but she might make it not worth it.

STRENGTHS: Moderate weapons skills, cuteness factor

WEAKNESSES: Small, young, inexperienced, easy target

ODDS: 40:1

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Nothing

SCORE: 5

NOTES: I always did like an underdog.

* * *

FROM: STAR SECRETARY HARLEQUIN MARCEA AND HER MEAN BOSS THEODORA HARP

"Real mature."

"Meanie."


	24. Interviews Part 1

Caesar Flickerman

I almost didn't notice the envelope tucked behind the mirror in my dressing room. It was my first year as interviewer, and I was more nervous than the Tributes. I opened it and found the last thing I would have expected.

 _Hail Caesar,_

 _Hey, this is Harlequin. I guess you're the new interviewer, since I got fired. Not that I'm mad. It's not your fault. Here's a tip: don't get involved with the Tributes. Anyway, there's sort of a tradition among interviewers. My predecessor left me a note my first time- I put it in the envelope along with this one. When it's your time to go, could you send along his, mine, and yours to the next one?_

 _There's a few things I should tell you. I hope you're not sensitive or prone to compassion, because this'll mess you up if you are. Try to keep a sense of humor. It got easier for me after I started chalking everything up to karma. It's not always that simple, but it helps to pretend. Don't be afraid to sass them back if they get difficult. We have more influence than people think. You help determine the Victor. I hope you use this power for good. Above all else, try not to take your work home with you._

 _You're probably afraid you're not good enough. But out of about a million billion people who wanted this job, you got it. You're gonna be fine. The first year will be really scary, but no one cares after it's over. If you mess up, everyone's going to forget about it. So congratulations and knock em' dead._

 _Harlequin Marceau, the best interviewer in the world (Except Seutonius)_

I felt like part of a secret, exclusive club after that. I was still nervous as could be, but it felt good to know Harlequin thought I could do it. She had a short run, but she was good. Maybe someday I'd be that good.

* * *

"Onyx, it must have been very educational going to the Academy," I said to my first interviewee, wincing as the microphone caught my stutter. _Ugh, that was the most boring question ever. I'm bombing."_

"I didn't go to the Academy," Onyx said. _Even better._

I was filled with relief when Rhoda took the stage. I didn't have to worry about making her look good. She'd do all the work for me.

"We're honored to have you here, Miss Hamilton," I said. I couldn't think of any more questions. I was too star-struck. She looked resplendent in her sleek white dress.

"Thanks so much. Really, the honor is mine. I'm so proud to be able to do this for my country," she said.

"Any plans for after you win?" I asked Tuesday.

"I'm going to write a book," she said. I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know Careers knew how to write.

"It's good to meet you, Jason. Picking up where your sister left off?" I asked. He glared at me so hard I shrank away, but it only lasted a second. Then he was back to looking bored.

"I guess so," he said absently.

"You must be Quintic," I said to the next boy, who was dressed in a strange gray suit.

"You must be Caesar. I thought you'd be taller," Quintic said, and the crowd laughed. I was just glad they were laughing and not stone quiet.

Gidget was crossing her arms over her lap, since her dress wasn't doing a good job of covering the goods. She kept tugging the material down over her swollen belly.

"Are you due before the Games or-" I started. Then I froze. The dress was so tight it had burst Gidget's stomach. She looked down and noticed the liquid running down her legs. The blood left my face as I stared in horror.

"Oh, my water broke," she said, but I didn't hear it. The thoughts in my head scrambled and I panicked. I jumped up, knocking my chair backwards. Gidget bent over and pressed her hands to her stomach with a pained face.

"OH MY GOD!" I yelled. "OH MY GOD! WHAT DO I DO? CALL A DOCTOR! SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!" I ran to her side, then backed away, afraid I'd make it worse. It was the worst thing that possibly could have happened. My first year, and a Tribute died on stage. Two medics came onstage and bent over her.

 **"** LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DON'T PANIC! DOCTORS ARE COMING! PLEASE DO NOT PANIC! OH MY GOOOOOOOOD! **"** My heart fluttered and everything started spinning. One of the doctors ran at me right as I face-planted.


	25. Interviews Part 2

Caesar Flickerman

Before I fainted, I had figured out that Gidget was, in fact, giving birth and not exploding. That did not make it any less scary, hence my reaction. It was the absolute last debut I would have wanted, but on the bright side, the ratings were spectactular. I scuttled back onto the stage the next day to finish the interviews with a nose red with bruises and cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Life's short, you know? Better to live hard than die easy," Shane said. He was much friendlier than the other Careers, except Rhoda, of course. Most of them seemed businesslike and serious. Shane seemed to be doing this on a lark.

"I've never seen such a young volunteer," I said to Rain. She looked like an adorable cupcake in her pink dress with the bow around her waist.

"Not just a volunteer. A Career," she added. "I'm super excited to show it was worth it, and I'm super glad the other Careers let me stay around even though I'm littler." She smiled winsomely at the audience, looking to hook some sponsors.

"It's not every day we see a Career from Five," I said to Slater.

"They thought I as good enough, and I thought they were my best shot," he said simply. He was straightforward and confident. I'd bet on him.

I looked out at the audience as Sita came out, and they stared back at me like a jury. My mind went blank, and I curled my hand to read the cheat question I'd written just in case.

"What kind of Arena are you hoping for?" I asked.

"Urban would be the most ideal, but I've been practicing all sorts of things so I can get by anywhere," she said. She was more rehearsed than I was.

"Here's this year's spitfire," I said, pleased with myself for thinking of something so witty, at least for my first year.

"You bet," Ferrari said. "I'm itching to get started. I don't have a deathwish or anything, but I know it's coming, so I want to get it going."

"What an interesting outfit." Lucius was dressed like a pilot. It was something we'd usually see in a parade, not an interview.

"My stylist found out I wanted to be a pilot. She was real mad she missed such a great costume opportunity. So here I am," he said.

"You must be as nervous as I am," Keylor said. He must have noticed I was doing some breathing exercises while I waited for him.

"Maybe a little. This is a very important job. I want to give you all the best shot," I said. The crowd ahhed at the emotion of it all, and I started to feel a little better.

"It's very nice to meet you," Violet said. We exchanged pleasantries and by the time I got to the questions, time was up. ITALICS oops.

"What did the eight... no wait, what did the zero... yeah, what did the zero say to the eight? Nice waist! No wait, nice BELT!" Eddin finally managed. I sank in my chair with secondhand embarrassment as the crowd laughed not at the joke, but at him.

"Who do you think will be first to go?" I asked Martha, peeking at my other hand.

"It could be me, but I hope not," she said. ITALICS ahh, she wants to be underestimated.

"Any skills you've been holding out on us?" I asked Caine, who smiled sneakily.

"Of course. And I'll keep holding out on them," he said.

"That was a very respectable score you got," I said to Tillia.

"It wasn't easy, either," she said breezily.

"What's your strategy for the Arena? Unless it's a secret," I asked Soma.

"It's like hide and seek. They can't kill me if they can't find me," he said.

"You want to hear something really funny?" Briar asked, sitting across from me in a cowgirl outfit. So of course I said yes.

"I've never ridden a horse," she said.

"What sort of things did you do for fun in Eleven?" I asked Lily.

"Sometimes I read books. I play outside," she said.

"Why should you win the Games?" I asked Kuma. He looked down at his hands.

"I wasn't going to say anything... but my mother could really use the money. She works so hard to provide for us," he said.

"Are you planning to ally?" I asked Gray.

"No. I don't want to have to worry about anyone else. And I'm strong enough to do this by myself," he said.

"Do you have a strategy ready?" I asked Allecia, relieved to be at my last Tribute.

"I've been studying the Games a lot. There's more than just weapons and shelters. It's important to know other factors, like probability and risk management," she said. I understood half those words.

I plastered on a smile and bolted the second the curtain came down. I was used to being in front of people. They wouldn't have hired someone without experience. But this was something else. Outside of the President and the Victors, the interviewer was the most recognizable face in Panem. There was a lot of pressure. I was sure I'd get better with time, but even the best of us got stage fright.


	26. The Last Night

**One last chapter. In this last pre-Games chapter, I add a few miscellaneous POVs. Sometimes these are here because I want to give a Bloodbath some more time before they die. Other times the POVs are red herrings so this chapter isn't a spoiler.**

* * *

Socks Kelarck

We only had one more night before it was time to go into the Games. I should have been in bed, but I wanted to see some of the Games building at night when it wasn't so crowded. They were all very interesting, but I liked the clothes store best. It had lots of wonderful soft things, like fur coats. I liked to rub my cheeks on them.

Of course there were socks, but most of them were in bags. The bags were gross plastic, so I didn't waste any time on them. Another shelf had rows of gloves hanging on hooks. Since it's more important that gloves are comfortable, they weren't in packaging. I tried them on and savored the softness on my hands.

There was one weird pair of rainbow gloves that were long and skinny. The fingers were stubby, so stubby I couldn't imagine my hands would fit. I shoved one in anyway, but I was right. It was all stretched on my fingers.

"No, that's not a glove! Those are toe socks," the storekeeper said.

 _TOE SOCKS?_ I thought. I put the sock next to my foot and all became clear. Those fingers were so short because they were for TOES.

"Take them if you like them. Free advertising," the storekeeper said. I bolted from the store and ripped my shoes off as soon as I reached my room. I slipped the glorious toe socks over my feet and wiggled my free toes.

 _Toe socks_! _What a marvelous idea._ It was the greatest idea I could imagine. They were like socks, but better. They were socks, but they had five littler socks added in! The Capitol was great. No wonder they ruled everything.

* * *

Rain Odessa

"Is it bedtime yet?"

Training was over, but I was still allowed to confer with my mentor. I'd been with Careen all day, and I planned to be with her all night. If I got to bed at midnight, I'd get eight hours of sleep before we got up for the Games. There was still so much I needed to learn. If I wanted the slightest ghost of a chance, I had to keep asking questions.

"How do you fight someone way bigger than you?" I asked.

"Kick their knee and run for it," Careen said.

"What's the hardest thing about living in the Arena?" I asked.

"For me, it was finding water. Generally, water's the first priority. Unless you're in a really cold Arena. Then make shelter first," she said.

"What do I need to know most? What's the most important thing you can tell me?" I asked. Careen sighed and laid one arm lazily over her eyes on the couch.

"You can't win without living. Don't focus on getting everyone else dead. Keep yourself alive," she said. "Now look. It's late. I'm falling asleep here. It's great you realize how serious this is and you want to prepare, but you need to sleep. It's going to take you hours to actually fall asleep."

I knew she was right. I lay in bed tossing and turning, thinking of all those Careers so much bigger and stronger than me. I might have blown it for myself. I thought I was so cool. They all did, too, but they'd waited until they were older and stronger. I'd made things a lot harder for myself.

* * *

Martha Lewis

I could do this. This could really happen. I could go in there and win. I could be a Victor. I'd be rich and famous- not that I cared about the famous part. I'd never have to worry about food or clothes or anything. I could help everyone in my District. It could happen. It could happen in just a few days.

But what were the chances? There were twenty-four of us. Seven of us were trained just for this. They'd spent their entire lives preparing for this. What chance did I have against them? Any of us could win. My chances were so small. I was just a normal girl.

It was going to be so different. We'd all been together for a week now, training and all that. Some of us had grown close. We came into the building as strangers, but we knew each other now. I'd seen Allecia and Socks playing together on the monkey bars. I'd giggled as Rhoda and Tuesday mimicked Shane behind his back, swinging clubs like maniacs and acting innocent when he turned around. All that would be gone the moment the gong rang.

It would have been better to see them all as competition, but they were people to me. That wasn't going to stop me from fighting them, and it made it so much worse. I had to kill, or at least outlive, every one of them. Cute little Allecia, friendly Kuma, loving Gidget. I had to be ready to kill all of them. And I was ready. I only hoped I was able.

* * *

Keylor Herald

My heart was beating out of my chest as I tried to sleep. I watched the seconds tick by on the clock and waited to see sunlight creeping into the window. The greatest adventure was about to begin. Most of us wouldn't survive it.

 _"To die will be an awfully big adventure._ " It had been so long since I'd read that story. I was buzzing with nervousness and anticipation. I couldn't imagine anything in the Arena could be worse than waiting for it. What was it going to be like, to rise up on that platform and see the Arena? Which of us would die first? I couldn't imagine seeing any of us go. We'd only begun to know each other. We'd just started to live. It was too early for us to die.

What was it like to die? Did it hurt, or was it something different from getting an injury? I couldn't imagine everything just stopped. In the story, Peter Pan flew with children so they wouldn't get scared on the way to what came next. I knew that wasn't true, but what was? We were going to find out soon.

It couldn't be worse than waiting. Anything would be better than lying in fear like this. I wanted it to be over, even if whatever came next was just as scary. Adventures were supposed to be exciting. Nobody told me about this part.


	27. Into the Tubes

Peridot Clarity

I was practically a formality this year. Rhoda was already trained. Career mentors were more about refining what was already there and teaching them how to play to the crowd. Rhoda already knew that, too. I just stood back and watched with pride. She was the best the District had to offer. I watched her rise into the tube and hoped I could be the first to shake her hand when she won.

* * *

Crag Steiner

"You know why you're here," I said to Jason. I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Blood was thicker than water. A boy wasn't defined by his family.

"I'll make up for her," Jason said.

"I don't doubt it," I said.

* * *

Acee Hal

Gidget rocked her tiny baby in her arms and nursed her as she waited for the tube. The doctors had done a great job cleaning her up and getting her back in shape for the Games. I wouldn't have guessed she was just giving birth three days ago. I would have expected her to be a mess, but she looked serene. She kissed the baby girl on her forehead and passed her to me.

OH SHOOT. A BABY. I had no idea what to do with a baby. I clutched onto her and tried not to drop her.

"Take care of her," Gidget said. She watched the baby as she rose into the tube. The little girl's eyes caught the movement and she watched her mother go.

* * *

Jonah Breaker

"Just... don't do anything crazy, okay?" I told Shane. It was bad enough we had Rain for our girl this year. We didn't need a crazy guy to go with the little know-it-all.

"Why would I do anything crazy?" he asked. _Oh, I don't know..._

* * *

Sky Levings

Sita was smart. I could tell she was terrified, but I also saw she was shoving it down and getting herself ready. She started when the tube opened, but she took a deep breath and got inside.

It always haunted me, seeing them go. It had never ended well for me. It was always my last look at them. Maybe this time I wasn't watching a ghost. Sita had a good chance.

* * *

Toby Cash

The girl jumped into the tube. She was shaking, but she didn't seem scared. The boy was slower. He waved at me and said something. I waved back. They were nice kids.

* * *

Paul Olson

Keylor didn't look so excited anymore. He looked scared. His face was pale and his hands clenched his pants.

"Hey. It's a new Arena, remember? It's going to be something cool, right?" I asked. Keylor smiled nervously and nodded.

"Your pants are pretty thick. It might be cold in there," I said. I hoped it wasn't a tundra again. That was a disaster last time.

* * *

Tillo Peters

Eddin had been a good Tribute. He was polite and quiet, and he always listened to whatever I told him. After a while I felt bad about being so negative all the time. What the Capitol did to me wasn't his fault. He had to squeeze into the tube, and he barely fit. I hoped he did well.

* * *

Chimera Ilium

"Now remember what we discussed. It's best for you if you win. And you'll also be doing me a favor. Do a good job. Don't die. Keep going and win. Okay?"

* * *

Calvary Warsaw

Briar was going to be fine. A Career would stab her and a paper snake would come springing out of her chest. Her only worry was being too loud. I could hear that girl's laugh for hours. She was even laughing as she went up the tube. She didn't seem to think it was very funny, though.

* * *

Frankie Disney

Lily was still as she waited for the tube. She looked at me silently, like I was going to comfort her. I wasn't good at that. I could only help her win.

"Do what you have to," I said. "It's different for everyone. Find what works for you."

* * *

Nubu Sanders

I was surprised Allecia wasn't saying anything. I'd heard her all week long. She had a lot to say about a lot of things. I knew why she wasn't talking, though. Anything she wanted to say would get us both into big trouble. So she just stared ahead as the tube came down. Tears were coming from her eyes, but they weren't scared tears. She was just mad.


	28. Countdown

Gidget Ford

My heart was beating a mile a minute, but it stopped dead when the cold wind blew across me. I'd known to expect something like this when I felt gloves stuffed into one of my pockets. I drew my arms in tightly around myself and braced for what was coming next.

* * *

Eddin Cavitch

Blazing white light scorched my eyes and I scrunched them shut. I peeked out between my arms and saw a mountain. I hadn't known anything could possibly be that big. I'd seen pictures, but nothing matched up to the towering, unbelievably tall wall of jagged gray rock above me. It was breathtaking. It reached all the way up to the heavens.

* * *

Tillia Raven

The platforms were arranged in a circle on a flat stretch of gray chunks of rock near the base of the mountain. The air was cold, but not so cold we'd freeze to death if the sun was out. The air was thin, so thin it was hard to breathe. The Cornucopia in the center of us all was bursting with cold-weather gear and weapons. I watched the air over the Cornucopia as the timer winked into sight.

59, 58, 57...

* * *

Lucius Petrol

It was hard to concentrate on the timer when the mountain was so beautiful. It didn't seem possible anyone could ever climb it. It was so steep it was like a pyramid, but it was a pyramid covered in ice and cliffs that dropped into space. I watched the timer ticked down and knew that I, at least, was heading up.

53, 52, 51...

* * *

Lily White

I had to go up. But not just up. I was going around- around to the backside of the mountain. I'd run up and around at the same time, diagonally. The Careers were a lot bigger than me. They needed more air, and there wasn't much air here. They'd get tired, and the higher I got, the less they'd be able to follow me.

46, 45, 44...

* * *

Keylor Herald

It wasn't going to be about the center of the Cornucopia this year. I didn't need weapons. It was cold already, and it would be colder when night fell. Just like everyone else, I needed what was littering the outside edge of the circle of platforms. All around us, there were socks, hats, blankets, and scarves. Those were what would keep us alive.

40, 39, 38...

* * *

Sita Alaya

The Careers would guard the center. That was where the coats were. I could do without a coat. It would be harder, but I could get by with what I had. I needed some miscellaneous supplies, and my best bet was the backpack halfway between me and the Cornucopia. The others would want the clothes. I was going for the pack.

32, 31, 30...

* * *

Caine Karpo

The big moment was getting closer. We were less than half a minute away from chaos. Any of us could die within twenty-five seconds. I barely knew where to start.

24, 23, 22...

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

They'd made it easy for us this year. There would be no food in a harsh Arena like this. It would be dangerously cold before long. We had the Cornucopia. They didn't. We could just sit around and they'd all die while we ate bonbons. But that wouldn't be a very good show.

17, 16, 15...

* * *

Kuma Swain

It was going to be bloody. In a tropical Arena, the Tributes could scatter. This time, we all had to run into the Cornucopia. There was no way around it. My face already stung with the freezing wind. I could see the warm, fur-lined coats inside the Cornucopia, but they weren't an option for me. I had to take the scraps. But I was used to it.

11, 10, 9...

* * *

Ferrari Benz

 _Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Let the gong ring. Bring it on._

 _"Let the Forty-Second Hunger Games begin!"_

* * *

 **So there it is: it's a mountain. And to that one person who guessed from the title, yup. You were right. Like many autistic people, I have obsessive, narrow special interests. One of them is mountain climbing, specifically over 8000 meter peaks. And my favorite is K2. I love reading about it and I want to visit it, but Pakistan's not safe right now :( So the title's actually a misnomer, since _Into Thin Air_ was about the 1998 Everest disaster that was just made into a film (the book and movie are both good. The book's the premiere book in mountaineering history). The most important thing you need to know about K2 is it is _gnarly._ Mountain climbers call it "The Savage Mountain", and these are people that have climbed Everest. It's considered the most dangerous mountain in the world. One in four people who reach the top die on the way down. It's the ultimate challenge for mountaineers. It gets you way more respect than climbing Everest, and Everest is hard enough.**


	29. Bloodbath

Allecia Callison

If the ground had been icy I wouldn't have gone in, but it was rocky. The closest Career, Shane, was two platforms away. He'd be running all the way into the Cornucopia to get that stick thing they put there for him. If I ran a few feet in to get the bag in front of me, I might get there before he got all the way in. And if I didn't, Shane was a goofy guy. I didn't think he'd want to go after me right away. I was aware I was betting my life on it, but I wouldn't go far around here without supplies.

Shane ran past me as I picked up the bag. He could have killed me there without a weapon, but I'd guessed right. I took my bag and hefted if up across my neck and head as I ran, in case Rhoda threw a spear at me. The screams started as I ran. Some of them stopped before I was out of sight.

* * *

Caine Karpos

The coats were tantalizingly tempting, but I couldn't do it. I set my eyes on a warm-looking fabric wrap near my platform and went for that instead. I picked it up and turned to go.

Someone smashed into me from behind and I stumbled, losing my momentum. I turned to see Jason and threw a punch at his face without thinking. He didn't even dodge it. He took it right in the cheek, but it probably hurt me more than him. He winced, but my fingers felt like they were broken. Jason grabbed my collar and yanked me down. My head smacked against my pedestal and dazed me.

Fighting a Career was probably a lost cause, but I tried anyway. I grabbed onto his foot, but he raised it and stomped my stomach. When I let go, he kicked my face so my neck fell against the platform. He put his hands together and bent his arms. He jumped up and leaned forward, so his elbows crashed into my neck with all his weight. Something crunched and something cracked. I couldn't move after that, and I wasn't sure if it was the broken neck or the smashed throat that killed me.

* * *

Lily White

I wasn't even going in after the supplies between me and the Cornucopia. There were a few small things littered outside the circle of platforms. I was lucky enough to be on the higher side of the ring. As I ran up higher to get to somewhere where I could survey the Arena, I grabbed a tiny mirror, a plastic bag filled with raisins, and a spool of string. I ran diagonally until I was behind the Cornucopia. No one would see me that way. And they wouldn't see me for as long as I could help it.

* * *

Tillia Raven

I had to be able to defend myself. There was a spear in the Corncuopia. The Careers preferred other weapons. I could take that while they were arming themselves and then run.

The spear vanished right when I was about to grab it. Rhoda picked it up so quickly I didn't even see it. She didn't bother to throw it at such short range. She just jammed it into my head, yanked it out, and ran to kill someone else.

It was a good thing I volunteered for Hannah. She would have died even quicker. I was such a saint.

* * *

Martha Lewis

Slater didn't mean it to be like this. He would have thought an arrow to the chest would kill my quickly. The arrow must have bent. I could feel it pricking inside my lung. Slater was guarding the Cornucopia now, glaring at Tuesday's back. He probably thought she was torturing me, but she wasn't. She was just interviewing me.

"What does it feel like to die?" she asked. She didn't seem to be gloating about. She was just curious.

"It hurts," I whispered. "Please help me. I don't want to die." I started to cry, and Tuesday's face changed. She looked uncertainly at the Corncuopia.

"All right, interview's over. I'm sorry," she said. She raised up her sword and brought it down into my chest so it wouldn't hurt anymore.

* * *

Kuma Swain

It was my job to get as many backpacks as possible. Lucius was running ahead to scope out an escape route between all the ice and impossibly steep cliffs. I kept an eye on him as I circled the platforms gathering supplies. When he turned around and threw a rock into the air, I got up and ran after him. He took one of the backpacks as we ran up the mountain, leaning forward for better traction.

* * *

Socks Kelarck

It was getting harder to move. Rain kept sticking her knife into me again and again. It hurt at first, but I was starting to go numb. She found me, so she won the game. I never had much chance of winning anyway.

When she was satisfied, she turned to leave. I grabbed her ankle so I could feel her sock one last time. She pitched forward and faceplanted on the rocks. As I stroked her sock, she raised herself up on her arms and looked back at me with confused annoyance. It was a good way to die.

* * *

Shane Donegal

My tiny District partner was stabbing a little boy who didn't even know what was happening. His blood was spraying into the air and all over her. Slater threw a spear at a girl and didn't even check to see if she was dead. Jason just destroyed a boy who didn't have a chance at escaping.

This wasn't an epic battle. We were just slaughtering people. I didn't want this. What were they thinking? There was no glory in killing kids. Couldn't they let the young ones sort themselves out, and we'd fight the real fights? Warriors fight because they have to, not just to kill. But then, maybe the pot was calling the kettle black.

* * *

Sita Alaya

Something sharp smacked into my back as I ran with my backpack. I fell to my knees and got back up. When another one hit my leg, I pulled it out and threw it back at whoever it was. Onyx was so close behind me that the star slashed him across the face. I pulled the other one out of my back as he pulled out his knife. I shoved the star out at him ad he dodged back, giving me a reprieve. But his reach was longer, and he jabbed the knife down at my head. I leaned forward and it slashed down my back. I grabbed Slater's leg and started stabbing it with my star. I knew what was going to happen, so I worked quick. By the time he yanked me off and slit my throat, there was blood all down his leg.

* * *

 **Submitters can still make alliances in the Arena. I just got Kuma and Lucius', so I added it here. I also forgot to add a POV I had planned for Lucius, so I'll put it for his next one since it would have been out of place here.**

 **I always go in intending to have a big Bloodbath since mine are small, but they always end up small. Obituaries:**

 **24th place: Tillia Raven: Speared by Rhoda (She died quicker than Socks and Caine)**

 **Tillia's form said she wasn't supposed to win. I am grateful for that and thankful for a less likeable Tribute that was easier to kill. Tillia was pretty much obnoxious, but it was really nice of her to save Hannah. At least one person will mourn her. Thanks RueJabberJay for taking one for the team and submitting a non-winner.**

 **23rd place: Socks Kelarck- stabbed by Rain**

 **Socks was also stated in his form to probably not survive the Bloodbath. He was made to add a little levity and increase the odds for someone else. I'm not really sure what his deal was, which is why I listed PDD-NOS in his form. That's what the doctors say when there's something up but it doesn't fit anywhere. Socks was divisive, but I liked him. I don't need everything to be doom and gloom every second. Thanks Lisaisanut for a break from the more serious Tributes out there.**

 **22nd place: Sita Alaya- stabbed by Onyx (I GOOFED and said Slater once for no good reason)**

 **I needed a few more Tributes for the Bloodbath to be realistic, so I went through those less likely to win in the end. Sita wasn't the weakest, but she probably wouldn't have won, so I picked her. She was one of my more interesting Tributes from Five. Lots of times the Fives don't have much to do with their Districts, but she did. Thanks MedicineCatoftheOpera for Sita, who was capable and likeable but not superpowered.**

 **21st place: Martha Lewis- pretty much killed by Slater, hastened by Tuesday**

 **I didn't even notice Martha was twelve until someone pointed it out in the reviews. That's not why I killed her. She just had a really bare form and she wasn't strong enough to win. It was hard to write her, but she was nice and she wasn't a bad Tribute. She just didn't have enough in there to win. Thanks snowstar2 and I look forward to more in the future.**

 **20th place: Caine Karpos- Neck obliterated by Jason**

 **Caine's form said he probably wouldn't last long. He was overconfident and didn't take this as seriously as he could have. All the same, he was a fun guy. He wasn't obnoxious, he was just carefree. Thanks Hollyhobbit and you're the real hero for sending in someone you didn't think would win.**


	30. Base Camp

Violet Robbins

I grabbed a hat and a scarf before I ran. I didn't even think about food or anything else until I was too far away to turn back. Just before I jumped off the platform, I'd had a crazy idea. Most Tributes were going to go up. It was everyone's instinct to get to higher ground when there was trouble. The Careers would follow them. So I went down. I knew the Arena boundaries were probably at the bottom of the mountain, but I'd go as far as I could, and if I ducked around the other side, I might be able to scrape by. It wouldn't be so cold, either. I didn't want to think about how much worse it would be when the sun set.

I didn't notice the headache the thin air had given me until it wasn't there anymore. It felt wonderful to be going downhill. I felt stronger with every step. Long after I'd lost sight of the Cornucopia, I heard five cannons. I'd hoped for a bigger Bloodbath, and I felt guilty for hoping. Five was a good start. Or a bad start.

I stopped when the bottom of the mountain was about a hundred feet away. I didn't want to chance getting the Gamemakers mad at me. Most of the snow was gone at that level, but there was a stream running out of the mountain. I found a cranny in the mountain slope some distance away from the river and started to pile up a shelter. I didn't want to be too close to the water, in case the Careers came, and I didn't want my shelter to be conspicuous. Just a little cocoon, like a caterpillar.

* * *

Eddin Cavitch

As soon as the dust had cleared from the Cornucopia, the Careers would be coming for the rest of us. I didn't want to stop moving until it was dark out. I hauled myself up the mountain like Sisyphus from the old stories. I'd thought the snow would pack hard under my feet and help me climb, but it was thin and powdery. It slid out from under me and pulled me back for every step I took forward.

I reached a plateau, and the ice grew flat. A wide valley appeared ahead of me. The icy floor was broken and covered with choppy bits of ice. Huge cracks sliced across the ground, and they seemed bottomless. I skirted carefully around them, crawling most of the way so I wouldn't lose my balance on the slippery ice. It cracked horribly under me with each move, like I was walking across a fragile pane of glass over a canyon.

A gunshot rang out in my ear, and I threw myself flat on the ice. But guns weren't allowed in the Games. I raised my head and saw a massive slab of ice crumbling from a white wall ahead of me. The slab shuddered, then fell all at once. I got up and bolted toward the side of the valley, ignoring the squeaks and squeals of the ice weakning under me. The wall of ice rocketed down the valley toward me. I was still running when it swept me away.

* * *

Grey Eamon Arden

I needed shelter. Even more than water, I needed shelter. Before I went into the tubes, I'd been dressed in a jacket and warm pants, but that wasn't enough. I hadn't dared go into the Bloodbath to get at the coats and warm supplies, so all I had were the gloves in my pocket. I'd noticed, however, that my shoes had tiny spikes on them. If I stomped hard on the ice, they gave me a little grip. I might be able to use that to climb the steeper slopes.

I wanted to keep moving, but I'd have to stop if I found a good shelter. A large cave would be wonderful, but it really wouldn't help me. It would be too obvious, and it would be the first place the Careers would look. As I kept ascending the mountain, I looked for a small divot in the ground or a pile of rocks I could burrow into. I stopped when I found a tiny crevice under the base of a towering ledge of smooth rock. The hole was about as long as I was, and maybe two feet tall. It sloped downward deeper into the rock like a scoop. I dug out the snow that dusted its bottom and smoothed it out so it wasn't obvious.

There was another reason I'd picked my spot. There was a barberry bush near the hole. I recognized it from training. The berries were edible, but there was something more important about that bush. It had leaves- leaves I could use to line my hole. Lying on cold rock was barely better than being out in the open. A layer of leaves between me and the ground would provide insulation and keep me warm. The berries would be food, and the snow around me would provide water. I knew from winters back home that eating snow could give you chills. I needed to find a way to melt it. But for now, I was just glad I had shelter and food.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

 _The hovercraft was in the air. We were on our way to wherever it was the platforms were. I'd wrangled myself a seat near the cockpit, and I was craning my neck trying to watch the pilot fly the craft. I'd be nervous when we landed, but for now it was fun to watch the pilot._

 _The craft lurched suddenly. Violet yelped, and the rest of us looked around nervously and squirmed in our seats._

 _"What was that?" the pilot asked, too quietly for most of us to notice._

 _"Right thruster's having trouble," the copilot said. The craft wobbled and dropped a foot, making my stomach flip._

 _"Are we crashing?" Ferrari asked. Of course she sounded more excited than scared, but it didn't help the rest of us. Then an alarm sounded and made everything worse. On a normal craft, the stewards would be reassuring us, but what did the pilots care if a bunch of walking corpses died? They bent over their buttons and switches and left us to our own devices._

 _"Don't worry, everyone. We're not that high up. Let's just get into crash positions, just in case," I said. I demonstrated the pose, crossing my arms in front of my head and checking that my seat belt was properly across my shoulder._

 _"It's going to be okay. Hovercrafts are designed to use lift," I said. Even though they weren't like old airplanes, most of them had backup systems that relied on the same principles. "Even if everything dies, they don't fall. They glide..."_

It already seemed like a long time ago, even though it was just hours before. I had no idea what was going to happen in the Arena, but I'd gotten closer to my dream than ever before, and no one could take that from me.

* * *

 **19th place: Eddin Cavitch- crushed by falling serac**

 **Eddin's form said he would die fighting. He may have been running, but I still consider that fighting since he was running from a serac. He didn't give up and stop. I knew I wanted someone to die that way, and Eddin was the lucky winner. He could have won but there were other, likelier choices. Thanks Lokithisismadness for Eddin, who was sweet, strong, and whose story ended too soon.**

 **The Khumbu icefall on which I based Eddin's death is actually at the bottom of Everest, but it's cool so I added it.**


	31. Heavy Air

Shane Donegal

I only realized I didn't belong here until after it was too late. I thought the other Careers were like me. We all trained and loved to fight. We all wanted the same thing, or at least I thought so.

I was wrong. For me, fighting was a way to connect to my past and remember the people before me. I volunteered for this, but not like they did. They wanted to get glory for themselves by killing. They didn't love to fight. They loved to kill. We weren't the same at all. I'd hoped we would become friends as we battled together, but now I saw what they really were.

Onyx noticed me gathering some supplies, but he didn't stop me. He seemed to sense what I was planning. Either because he was wounded or because he knew my chances outside the pack, he didn't see the need to start a fight.

"I'm going now," I said simply. "What I'm looking for isn't here."

I set off in the opposite direction Rhoda and the others had taken. I had a lot to consider before I met them again. My ancestors didn't run around picking fights. They didn't look for opportunities to kill people, and they would have been mad at me for volunteering. I thought back to all the stories about them. They always began with someone else attacking, someone imposibly strong. There wasn't any glory in killing people littler than you. I should have known that. My ancestors' greatest moments came from when the odds were against them, and they were fighting for something worth killing for. Great warriors fought only the people who needed to be fought. There wasn't any glory or honor in fighting children. But there was glory in stopping their murderers.

* * *

Kuma Swain

The surface of the mountain was lined with cracks in the ice. Some of them were so deep we couldn't see the bottom. Others were shallower, and Lucius and I cautiously crept into one of them. It was five feet deep and maybe seven feet long at the bottom. The top crack was only two feet wide, so it would be hard for anyone on the top to see us unless they were right there. The bottom of the crack was about seven feet wide, so there was room for me and Lucius to stretch out. We dumped the backpacks out and examined our supplies.

First, we had three backpacks. That didn't seem very important, but they were made of sturdy, waterproof fabric that could help keep us warm. The first had a fire-making tool and a packet of kindling, a flashlight, a packet of trail mix, and a weird square bag of something like jelly. Lucius, who came from a richer District, informed me it was a heat pack we could use to melt snow into water. The second backpack had a pair of wool socks, a jar of honey, a multitool, and a blanket, which made me and Lucius cheer like Christmas morning. The third backpack had a rock in it. Screw the Gamemakers.

"This is great, but we're going to need to make a weapon," I said. Lucius examined the multitool and folded out a tiny knife.

"How are we going to kill anyone with that?" I asked.

"I guess if we have to," Lucius said. That stopped me dead.

Mother used to say that. When we argued, she said she was doing what she had to. I thought she was exaggerating. I thought no one could have to do that. Now, in an ice crack contemplating killing someone with a blade an inch long, I saw she was right. We were only alive because of what my mother did- what she had to do. I'd hated it for so long. To get out of here, I'd have to be just like her.

* * *

Ferrari Benz

Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you crash into a wall. I ran straight into the Bloodbath to get supplies, and that time, I got lucky. No one killed me, and I got away with a furry wrap, a jar of peanut butter, a set of metal spikes, and an empty canteen. I'd been climbing ever since, but even I was starting to get worried. Only one cannon had sounded since the Bloodbath, but it was starting to get dark, and I didn't have any antifreeze.

Naturally, I'd taken the steepest route I could find, and it was slow going. I clambered to the top of a cliff and found myself on a narrow ledge. I peeked over the side and saw nothing but an empty abyss stretching out for maybe a hundred feet under me. On the bright side, no one would ever try to follow me up here. On the downside, I was on a meter-wide ledge with nothing between me and eternity but a big ol' rock.

It was getting dark fast. I didn't have time to climb down, and I'd probably fall if I tried. I'd picked my camp whether I liked it or not. But the rock gave me an idea. I leaned against the icy wall and wedged my feet behind the rock. I pushed out with all my might and slid it to the edge of the ledge. It left just enough room for me to wiggle in between the rock and the ice. I spread the fur wrap out under me and lay on top of it. I folded it over myself like a taco, and it covered my top half. The rock kept the wind off me and kept me from rolling off in the night. I had gloves, my jacket, and the wrap. There was a shelf on the rock that made a partial roof and kept some of my body heat in. I was about to find out if that was enough to keep me from freezing to death.

* * *

Allecia Callison

Sometimes it was good to be small. Before the sun was completely set, I'd found a tiny crevice in the wall that was too small for anyone but me. It went back five feet and then opened into a tiny room big enough for me to sit up in if I hunched over. As soon as I was out of the wind, it wasn't so cold. I used the bag I got at the Corncucopia to line the cave bottom, and I had a firemaking tool and packet of tinder from inside the backpack. When I was still looking for a shelter, I'd passed a bush and grabbed a bunch of berries and an armful of wood.

I set out the tinder in the center of my cave, away from the backpack so it wouldn't set it on fire. I scraped the attached flint across the metal firemaking tool and watched the sparks spit onto the tinder. After a few tries, it started to smolder. I blew it gently and set a single twig across the tinder. There were a few false starts, but soon I had a tiny blaze. The firelight gave the cave a cheery glow, and I was so warm it didn't matter if the sun had set. I couldn't tell, because the mouth to my cave was so long and thin I couldn't see outside.

I ate some of the berries as I watched the fire dance. I knew they were bayberries, since I'd seen them back home. They were bitter and crunchy, but they weren't poisonous. As I ate, I made plans for the morning. I'd found a good shelter, and it wasn't likely anyone could find me. If I was careful and only went out to find food, I could stick around a long time until the Gamemakers got mad and made me move.

I didn't think it would be possible to sleep after all that had happened, but I was exhausted. The fire was warm and my little nest was comfortable. I stretched out on the fire-warmed stones and my breathing grew deeper and more relaxed. I never even heard the Anthem, or saw the seven faces in the sky.

* * *

 **18th place: Allecia Callison- carbon monoxide poisoning**

 **A lot of people know not to start a fire in an enclosed area. Allecia was only twelve, though. She knew a lot about politics, but not so much about fire. She lived in town, so she didn't even know about mining safety. Her form said she'd get outsmarted if she died. She died because she didn't have this particular piece of smarts. I thought of this death and picked her because she was the least likely to know that safety precaution, being so young. Thanks Axe Smelling God for Allecia, though. I have a soft spot for young Tributes and tend to keep them longer than is logical. I liked Allecia and it was a mistake anyone could have made.**


	32. Cannons

Tillo Peters (Eight mentor)

I was sorry about Eddin and Martha. As much as I wanted to hate everyone so I wouldn't care when they died, there was nothing about them to hate. And it was hard to keep up that level of misanthropy. Sometimes I was too weary to be angry.

* * *

District Eight

We hadn't expected anything different from Martha. She had the spirit, but she was chosen before her body had a chance to grow strong. Eddin had the body, but not the spirit. He would have been someone else entirely if he'd won. We all mourned Martha, and Jaime especially mourned Eddin. He'd lived in Panem long enough to know that happy endings didn't happen, and he cherished the one moment they shared before the end.

* * *

Chimera Ilium (Nine escort)

They were supposed to live. Preferably both of them, but at least one. We discussed this. I couldn't stand to keep watching them die, and I didn't imagine it was any more fun to be the one dying. It wasn't just for me that I wanted them to win. It started out that way, but it had become more. It was getting harder to see them as Tributes and easier to see them as friends. Friends didn't want friends to die.

* * *

District Nine

It happened just like that. Five minutes, and we could stop caring about the Games. Tillia's death was met with little pomp and circumstance, with the exception of Hannah Fulton, who kept her grave well-tended. We'd feared Caine might run into the Bloodbath, and our fears came true. We had a couple of daredevils this year, and Tributes from Nine couldn't afford that. If we ever got a Victor, he or she would scrape in as haphazardly as Toby.

* * *

 **SITA ALAYA-** Onyx Soul

It was wrong to kill. And yet I did it. Did that make me wrong? Sita would have said so.

* * *

 **EDDIN CAVITCH-** Gidget Ford

He was so much stronger than me, but I was still alive. I might have been stronger than I thought, but more likely I was just luckier. If luck had any feelings, she'd let me see my daughter again. But Slater had a daughter, too. We all had someone to see again.

* * *

 **MARTHA LEWIS-** Violet Robbins

Someone killed a little girl. Martha was too little to be a threat to anyone. Still, she would have fought her hardest. Someone held a little girl down and tore the life from her. Snow wasn't the worst thing in Panem.

* * *

 **CAINE KARPOS-** Jason Lenn

I wished it had been harder. It was more fun when it was a real fight.

* * *

 **TILLIA RAVEN-** Lily White

That's what came of letting them know you were there. They killed anything they could find. It was just like the Peacekeepers. You couldn't fight them. You could only run or hide.

* * *

 **SOCKS KELARCK-** Rain Odessa

I only killed him because I wanted the Careers to see I could kill someone. I chose him because he was the only one I was confident I could take. I needed them to think I was worthwhile. If the only thing I provided was sponsors, that wouldn't be enough. All Careers were popular, and Rhoda was the most popular Tribute in Games history. I killed him to keep myself alive.

* * *

Quinn Grice

The easiest part was finding a shelter. As the faces flashed in the sky, I was tucked into a wrinkle in a wall of ice, laying on top of my bag and the scarf I'd found inside. I'd also found a pocketknife inside the fabric bag, and I used it to rip the seams and unfold the bag so it covered more ground and kept me more insulated. The hard part was getting the motivation to go on.

It was dark. It was cold. I was on a desolate mountain with almost twenty other people who wanted to kill me. Everything felt bleak and hopeless, and the cold outside seeped into me and emptied me out until I was numb. I tried to think of anything that would inspire me to keep fighting. I found it in the most unexpected and remote place.

 _If I win, I can get a dog. I can have that mutt come live with me and give him a real home in the Victor's village._ _No wait, two dogs. I want a whippet, too. The mutt- I'm going to call him Sprocket- and a whippet. A girl whippet. I'll name her Rocket, because whippets are so fast. They can have puppies. Urgh, maybe not. Whippet-bull terrier crosses would be hideous._ I thought of an unfortunate dog with a whippet's skeletal frame and a bull terrier's shovel-wide head. _Sprocket and Rocket._

I focused my thoughts on everything they'd need and the things I'd do with them. I couldn't let the sad thoughts drag me down. I needed to stay positive and keep moving forward. No one was going to cheer me up but myself. And Sprocket and Rocket.


	33. Pitons

**ALLECIA CALLISON-** Grey Eamon Arden

She seemed so smart. I thought she might outlast me. Most likely she was smart enough to know what was going wrong. Most likely she froze to death. It didn't do any good to know how to make a fire if there was nothing to burn but ice.

* * *

Gidget Ford

It was a miracle I'd survived the night. I'd found a relatively dry patch of rocks and burrowed in. I spent the night curled up with a muff from the Bloodbath around my head and my arms pulled into my jacket and folded over my stomach. I wouldn't get lucky twice. As dangerous as it was to venture outside with the Careers looking for prey, I had to find a better shelter or I'd freeze to death.

When another Tribute came into view as I was inching my way across a slippery ledge, we both froze. But that was the best thing that could have happened. If the other Tribute stopped, he wasn't a Career. He looked as cold as I was, too. He was probably out for the same reason: to find someplace warm. It was too cold for anyone but non-Careers to worry about killing each other. All I saw when I looked at the other boy was body heat. He didn't run, so he was probably thinking the same thing. I crept closer to him until I could see it was my own District partner.

"It's kind of cold out," I said. He smiled.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'm an honest woman and all, but what happens in the Games... Anyway, two people are warmer than one," I said.

"You're not afraid I'll get frisky?" Quinn asked.

"We don't even have anywhere to get frisky," I said. Quinn smiled wider.

"Wait till you see my place."

* * *

Briar Hampton

There were lots of cracks in the ice, but only one was talking. I hadn't been in the Arena long enough to go crazy, so that meant someone was down there. I was freezing my butt off and willing to try just about anything. I slid near the crack on my belly and poked one hand out over it. Whoever was inside shifted but didn't throw a spear at me.

"It's Briar, from Ten. You guys Careers?" I asked.

"Yes. Big, spooky Careers," a female voice answered.

"Big spooky Careers sound a lot like Gidget," I said.

"Nuts," the voice said. I poked my head out and saw it was Gidget and her District partner. They were huddled together with a scarf wrapped around them.

"Room for one more?" I asked. Gidget and her partner conferred in hushed tones.

"I got a tarp," I said, holding out the folded square I'd grabbed at the Bloodbath.

"Very well. You may stay," Gidget said. I slid into the crack and we spread the tarp out.

"This is so great. My behind won't be wet anymore. And when night comes we can fold it over like a taco," Gidget said.

"This is even warmer than two people," Quinn said.

"Let's just invite everyone else in. We'll have a party in the Arena. No Careers, though. They suck," I said.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

THIS ARENA SUCKS. We'd been climbing for hours and we're barely gotten a hundred feet higher than we were when we started. The spikes on our shoes helped, but every five feet we had to change course when a chunk of snow broke off or a patch of ice was too hard for our shoes to make a dent. My pants were soaked and they were sticking to my legs. Worst of all, my throat was raw.

I'd been training for years. I ran five times a week, both for the Games and for my modeling figure. There was only one thing I couldn't stand. When it was cold outside, I couldn't take it. I always moved inside to an indoor track. Because if I ran when it was cold outside, my throat would get raw. The cold would strip away all the moisture until every breath felt like a knife right into my lungs. I'd rather run with two stitches on both sides than a raw throat.

Slater reached the top of a ledge and disappeared from view. I heard a foul word, and then I caught up to him. His hands were on his hips as he stared up a sheer ice wall. It stretched out on both sides as far as I could see. It was either walk up a wall or walk around the entire mountain, on a ledge maybe two feet wide.

"Someone's up there. Whoever it was looked down, saw us, and ran off," Slater said.

"It doesn't matter anyway. We can't get up there," I said. I was so frustrated it came out as an angry mutter. I'd barely made a dent in the numbers so far. None of us had killed anyone the first night. We were blowing it. I had to do better.

"How are we supposed to catch anyone in an Arena like this?" Onyx asked. Tuesday, meanwhile, was looking through a bag.

"Spikes..." she said. She took out one of the weird spikes the rest of us had taken one look at and ignored. She put it up to the ice wall and pushed on it. There was a puff of air and the spike shot into the ice like a bullet. She pushed another one in a little higher than the first.

"Oh. Spikes," I said. Just like that, she'd turned the tables. We were faster than the other Tributes on solid ground, and now even a sheer, dizzyingly tall ice wall couldn't stop us. My stomach churned as I thought about climbing a fifty-foot wall with nothing but my hands keeping me from falling into space, but for my public, I'd do anything.


	34. Freefall

Jason Lenn

There was nothing that could prepare someone for what we were doing. It was one thing to climb a rock wall at the Academy. It wasn't at all the same as clinging to very fragile-looking spikes that were anchored an inch deep in a wall of ice. They were slippery with melted snow and my gloves made my grip even more precarious. I didn't want to look behind me as I dangled fifty feet up over a ledge that would surely break if I fell, sending me down hundreds of feet into nothing. I felt like a bird flying with one wing.

A chunk of ice whizzed past my face. I scrunched in against the snow and tried to slow my nearly panicked breathing. I wasn't afraid of heights, but I'd have been stupid not to be afraid of something like this. Behind me, Slater urged me to go faster, but I couldn't, because Tuesday and Rhoda were ahead of me. I squinted up in front of all of them and saw the Tribute on the ledge drawing back another chunk of ice to throw at us. It hit Rhoda in the face and she screamed as it knocked one of her hands loose. Her feet slid off the spikes beneath her and for a second, she was dangling by a single hand. Just the sight gave me vertigo, and I felt sick until she righted herself. She continued on, but then the line jerked to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Slater asked.

"She can't get up," I called back. The Tribute on top was kicking at Rhoda whenever she tried to climb over the ledge on top of the wall. Rhoda tried to grab her leg, but she didn't dare keep at it. She might be able to pull the Tribute over, but she might just as easily lose her grip and fall.

"Go back down and shoot at her," I said to Slater. I was furious we hadn't seen this coming. We thought the Tribute would run, but she had other ideas. We'd all have to wait while Slater picked his way back down the spikes and drove her away. My stomach was churning already.

* * *

Ferrari Benz

This was not good. The snow I'd climbed up to get to my ledge had sloughed off in the night, leaving me stranded on top of a ninety-degree wall. I'd been trying to find a way to go up, but the ice ahead of me was almost as sheer. Then the Careers had to come and make things worse. I chucked ice at them until Rhoda was right at my ledge. Then I kicked at her and we came to a stalemate. But she couldn't hold on forever. She'd have to retreat eventually, and that would give me time to figure something out.

I saw a glint of movement coming straight at my head and jumped back. An arrow clacked against the ice behind me and Rhoda heaved herself up. I flattened myself on my belly and tried to shove her back, but she smacked a spike into the ice and it anchored itself into place. She grabbed at me with her other hand and I had to slide back to evade her. She hauled herself forward and got herself solidly on my ledge. She stood up and I backed away.

The ledge was maybe ten feet long and three feet wide. Rhoda took out her sword and called to her friends without taking her eyes off me.

"You might as well go back. She can't go anywhere, and it's hard getting over the edge. I almost fell," she said. While she was talking, I was thinking. She was wrong. There was somewhere I could go. Life was too short to wait around for someone to kill me.

I looked up at the sky, and then down at the snow beneath us. It was a lovely Arena, full of harsh, icy beauty. I was glad it was where I ended up.

Rhoda took a step forward, and I ran at her. She saw what I was thinking and stepped out of the way. I'd thought she'd probably do that, but it wasn't important. It would have been a nice bonus, but I was content with what I got. I ran past her and leaped off the ledge. The cold air lashed at my face like knives, and I fell so fast that after a second, I couldn't tell I was falling anymore. Live hard, die hard. Death was the ultimate rush.

* * *

Keylor Herald

The air was so thin it was like breathing through a straw. I had to stop and take a dozen breaths in between every step. I felt like I was climbing up through wet cement. But as far as I knew, I was far higher than anyone else. I wanted to keep it that way forever.

I couldn't tell how far up the mountain I was. It looked like a long way. I could see the summit far ahead of me, and it looked so close. I was better equipped than most Tributes. At the Bloodbath, I'd grabbed a rope, some goggles, a thermos of water, a package of jerky, and an extra pair of gloves. The constant movement kept me from freezing, even if I could barely feel my fingers.

After I'd gotten away from the Bloodbath and saw that nobody was following me, I'd set my mind on something else. I wanted to win and I was going to do my best, but there was something else that could get me remembered. The second the platform raised out of the ground and I saw the mountain towering over us, I'd wanted to touch the top. It was so majestic, so unbelievably high. I wanted to be up there, so far up even the mountain didn't reach it. I wanted to be higher than the mountain, standing at its very top, where I could touch the sky.

It was going to take a long time. I was moving like a snail and the air was still getting thinner. I didn't know if I could make it with my scant supplies. More likely I'd have to turn back after my food ran out. But I'd go on as far as I could. Most likely, this was an artifical mountain, made by the Gamemakers just weeks before. I wanted to be the first to climb it. Everyone would remember that.

* * *

 **17th place: Ferrari Benz- Threw herself off a ledge because she was going to die anyway.**

 **Theodora and Harley said Ferrari would die hard if she did, and they were right. Everyone's going to remember the girl that jumped off a ledge hundreds of feet in the air. Ferrari was a risk-taker, too much so to win the Games. If she hadn't gone out like this, she probably would have frozen to death, and that wouldn't have fit her. My sister made Ferrari, and she was cool. I didn't kill her here because I wanted her to die early. She just happened to be in the right place at an early point in the Games. She could have lasted longer. As it was, she made her own fate and died her own way.**


	35. Frozen

Tuesday Erelle

It didn't take long to find what I was looking for. In most Arenas, they could hide the cameras in dark corners, but the ever-present ice in this Arena meant it was easier to spot the metallic gleam among all the white. Once I found one of the cameras, I chipped it out of the ice and tucked it into my pocket. After we got back to camp, I snuck off a few feet away from the Cornucopia, pretending I wanted some solitude to eat my canned soup.

"Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Tuesday Show. All Tuesday, all the time. This is your inside peek behind the scenes of the Hunger Games. All the scandals, all the betrayals, all the boring stuff... everything. On this episode: the Careers," I whispered, staring into the camera. I wanted to get things noted down in case I forgot some details, and if the absolute worst happened, I wanted whoever came next to have somewhere to start.

"There's Rhoda," I said, pointing the camera at her. "You probably recognize her. She's pretty much all that. Fearless leader, charismatic orator, Capitol darling. Perfect in every way. Too boring to focus on."

"Up next is Jason. He thinks he's stronger than he is. With his past, it's not surprising he wants to put on a good show. I don't think he'll win, though. He's gonna pick a fight with someone just to prove he's a man," I said. My next subject was Onyx.

"Onyx is weird. He's not from the Academy, but he's got mad skills. Something's up, but we're not really supposed to ask. I think he's a spy or something. I better not say any more," I said.

"And finally, the shrimp is Rainey. Honestly, Four's put up a pretty pathetic showing this year. Shane ditched us and I think he's yellow. Rainey, as you can see, is barely out of diapers. We all know she's only here because she's cute. We don't want to kill the little cutie. But that won't last much longer, and when it runs out, bye bye Rainey," I said. I was almost done with my soup, and it was getting cold as the sun set. I had to wrap things up.

"That brings us to the end of our first episode," I said. "Things are looking good for the Careers. A few more Tributes will probably freeze to death tonight. That makes things easier. We'll give you more action tomorrow, I promise. Thanks for watching and be sure to tune in next time."

* * *

Lily White

I seemed to be made of ice. My fingers crackled and stuck together when I tried to move them. They didn't hurt anymore, since I couldn't feel them. In the dim light as the sun set, I could see the icy sheen all across my skin. The tips of my fingers were black, and when I held my mirror up to my face clumsily, I saw my nose and cheeks were black as well. I ran a hand across my face and a chunk of skin disintegrated and flaked off into the air.

The air was so cold it was alive. I felt it all around me. Usually I didn't notice the air, but here it pricked at me and swirled around me, and I could feel it stripping my heat away as fast as my heart could supply it. It was eating me alive and sucking my life out. It was so cold it hurt like fire, and when it stopped hurting, it really only hurt in a different way.

I kept walking uphill, but I stumbled with every step. My arms were stiff and as useless as dead branches. My throat was bleeding from trying to get enough of the thin air to keep me alive. My legs lifted almost by themselves, since it couldn't be my brain that was moving them. My brain didn't register that they were still there. Each breath melted a thin layer of ice from my frozen lips, but by the time I took another, they were frozen again. There were frozen tears on my cheeks from before, when it had hurt even more. I fell forward and landed on my face in the powdery snow. It had happened half a dozen times before, and I'd had to flounder like a fish to get myself back up. But this time I couldn't do it. The snow was soft, like a cushion.

I'd heard people talk about freezing to death. They said it was the easiest way to die. They were right. The sun was setting, but I felt warmer as I watched it slip away. The sky was lined with purples and reds, and it made the stark mountain look even prettier. It didn't hurt at all.

* * *

Slater Hematite

I was glad Serenity was just a baby. If she'd been older, I wouldn't have been able to do what I was doing for her. I couldn't stand the thought of her watching her father kill children. She would have been afraid of me when I came back. I never could have convinced her I loved her after she saw that. But she was just a baby. She didn't know where I was, and she was never going to find out. I would never let her watch the tapes, no matter how curious she got. She could never know.

I'd only killed one person so far, but I was going to kill more. I'd told myself it was different for me. It was wrong to kill, but I was doing it for someone I loved. It was worth losing my own morality to provide for her. I wasn't kidding myself that I was a good person. Serenity was, though.

I wasn't the only one. We were all willing to kill. Whoever I killed would have done the same to me if they could have. It had always been that way, and it would be for as long as the Games went on.

What if it was her?

Even if I won, Serenity would still be eligible to get Reaped. All the reasons I said to myself, all the justifications I made... everyone else made those, too. If Serenity was in the Arena, there would be someone else with her, someone just like me. He'd say he was doing it for a daughter, or a sister. He'd kill her as easily as I killed Martha. I felt blinding fury toward the hypothetical murderer, but he was just like me. Even if I won, I couldn't protect her. She had someone like me, willing to do anything to save her. And there were hundreds of other people, willing to kill her for the same reason.

* * *

 **16th place: Lily White- Froze to death**

 **Lily was made to see how long hiding and fading into the background would keep someone alive in the Arena. Unfortunately, the experiment was marred by my choice of Arena. Anywhere else, Lily wouldn't have had to worry about freezing to death. As it was, she was alone in a subzero Arena for two nights in a row, and there was nothing she could do about that. I liked Lily and I didn't think she was too much like Rue. She was older, less cute and not as oddly capable. I think they were mostly from the same District because spots filled up so fast she went where she fit. Thanks Americanpi and sorry Lily pretty much got a raw deal. This wasn't her Arena.**


	36. Vertical Limit

**FERRARI BENZ-** Lucius Petrol

She didn't seem like it was possible for her to die. She had too many things to do and to many boneheaded adventures to have. Death must have finally caught up to her. He didn't know what he was dealing with.

* * *

 **LILY WHITE-** Kuma Swain

I'd almost forgotten about her. It took me a minute to place my old District partner. She'd faded away into the background from the start, and now she'd faded away forever.

* * *

Rain Odessa

It was time for me to go. I could sense the other Careers getting restless. They were like lions inching closer to a baby gazelle, ready but not striking until the time was right. I wasn't going to give them the time.

I picked my supplies carefully. I took one of the big backpacks and added socks, an extra pair of gloves, goggles, a hat, a scarf, some spikes, a bottle of water and some heat packs, some trail mix, and a strange sleeping bag I found. It had strings attached, and the instructions that came with it said it was meant to be tied in place or even hung over a ledge if I had to stop while I was climbing something.

The wind was howling as I left. I was glad for it, even though it was cold. It muffled my noise and blew my footsteps away as soon as I lifted my feet. I wished Shane had told me before he left. I would have fit with him better than the rest of the Careers. He wasn't counting the seconds until it was time to kill me, like the rest of them.

I'd never felt more alone than when I was climbing up the mountain in the night. The Careers had never really been my allies, but they pretended they were my friends. The mountain seemed bigger by myself, and I felt farther away from anyone else than I'd ever been. I wasn't strong enough to be a Career, but no one else would have me. I was tainted just by association with them. I had to face a mountain, Careers that wanted me dead, and non-Careers who counted me as the enemy, and I had to do it all alone. I didn't have anyone to blame but myself.

* * *

Violet Robbins

As I wandered at the bottom of the mountain, a glint of metal caught my eye. It was coming from a pile of rocks in the distance. I made my way over to the pile. It was maybe ten feet tall, and it was festooned with metal plates and garlands of triangular flags. I bent closer to one of the plates, thinking I might be able to use it for something. There was something written on it.

 **TILLIA RAVEN**

 **KILLED BY RHODA HAMILTON**

 **AGE 16**

I let the plate drop and stepped back. ITALICS What is this, a grave? NOTITALICS I counted the plates and my heart lurched. There were nine of them. There had been nine cannons since the Games began. I read the other plates. Martha, Socks, Eddin... This was no ordinary pile of rocks. It was a sick monument put here by the Gamemakers.

I couldn't bear to take any of the plates. It felt ghoulish, like I was robbing a grave. If I needed them, I'd change my mind, but until I did, they were staying there. I unwound one of the garlands, though. The flags could help keep me warm, or I could use the whole thing as a rope.

I didn't want to look at the pile after that, but it kept drawing my eyes back in. I felt all mixed up looking at it, like I could see the Tributes haunting it. It made me want to go over there and weep for them.

* * *

Onyx Soul

I was getting restless. We'd been climbing for hours and we hadn't found anyone. I didn't like having so much time to think. I'd get to thinking about the people I'd killed and it would bother me if I didn't have something to do. I wanted to keep acting. I wanted to get the Arena cleaned out and get home before I started going soft. This was no place to rediscover a lost soul.

Most likely, the other Tributes were all holed up. It was still wicked cold, even if the sun had warmed the Arena a bit. The constant nip at my cheeks and ache in my throat nagged at me, even though I was trained to ignore such things. It was getting harder to ignore it, just like it was getting harder to ignore the feelings.

Even more, I hated the blasted empty air. I felt like a toddler just learning to walk. Each step was difficult, and I was lightheaded. We could only hope the others were in even worse shape, because I didn't feel fit enough to fight Gidget at the moment.

I looked behind me and noticed Slater didn't look so good either. He was weaving like he had head damage. He swayed back and forth with each step like a punchy boxer. Out of nowhere, he pitched forward and face-planted on the ground.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. Jason was behind him, and he flipped him over. There was a trail of vomit from his mouth into the snow, and his eyes were closed.

"What happened?" Tuesday asked.

"He just fell," Jason said.

"Maybe he fainted," I said. "The air is so thin."

"We better slow down," Tuesday said. "We should keep him warm." She said down beside him and a cannon sounded. We all looked down at Slater.

"No way," Rhoda said.

* * *

Slater Hematite

I was hard to remember a time when I could breathe easily. It felt like even my eyes were freezing. I'd been wearing goggles, but they were messing with my vision, so I took them off. The Arena was tilting and it was hard to tell where the ground was. I stumbled sideways and almost fell before I recovered myself.

My arm had gone numb for a moment and I was afraid it was frozen, but then it jerked back to life. It kept twitching even after I stopped wiggling it. Then my whole body jerked and I pitched forward into the snow. My stomach churned and vomit leaked from my mouth. I barely registered Jason flipping me over.

"What happened?" someone said. Other voices joined in. The faces over me swam together like I was drunk, and then Serenity took their place. I didn't know how she got there, but she was in my arms. She was smiling at me. I smiled back at her and held her tight.

* * *

 **15th place: Slater Hematite- High Altitude Cerebral Edema**

 **As soon as I decided on this Arena, I knew I wanted someone to get HACE (or HAPE, the pulmonary variation). It can happen to anyone, so I thought it was a perfect way to take out a Career early and out of nowhere. It happens that fast, and Slater and the others thought they were just lightheaded from the thin air. Some people are more prone to it than others, and Slater drew the short straw. Thanks David12341 for Slater. Thanks for being flexible with his District, too. Slater was determined but not a maniac. He had a reason to fight, too, and it wasn't just because he was nasty.**

 **The Gilkey Memorial, which Violet found, actually is on K2, so I added it as a morbid touch.**


	37. Crevasse

Rhoda Hamilton

"What the hell was that?! What just happened?!"

Onyx was still checking for a pulse, but Slater was dead. His eyes were frozen and he was staring up like a fish, his mouth still open.

"He just fell over and died! How does that happen?" I asked.

"He started to lose his balance before he fell," Jason said. Tuesday put her curled hands up to her face.

"I've been feeling off-balance for hours," she said. "Are we all dying?"

"That's bogus! We're Careers! We're not supposed to fall over and die! They must have sent from freaky illness into the Arena. That's not fair," Jason said.

"It's probably the altitude," Onyx said as he stood up. He was the only one of us who wasn't freaking out.

"What does the altitude do?" Tuesday asked.

"There's not as much air up here. It makes it harder to breathe. If you go high enough, you can't breathe at all," Onyx said.

"Let's not go up any higher then," Tuesday said.

"There are still more Tributes up there," I said.

"It doesn't matter if we die before we get there," Jason said. I shut my eyes for a moment and thought.

"Who feels the worst? Not a loaded question, I just really need to know," I said. Jason and Tuesday raised their hands.

"Okay, how about this? Onyx and I don't feel as sick, so we'll keep going up. You two go down and get the Tributes that are lower. It's not ideal to split up, so we have to stick in our pairs. Shane is still out there," I said.

"Sounds good," Jason said. He and Tuesday wasted no time starting downhill. Then I was stuck with Onyx. I didn't know what to make of him. He obviously knew his stuff, but he wasn't like the rest of us. Maybe I'd find out more now.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

We had to leave our nook after the mountain shifted and we almost got buried alive. We were hoping to find another shelter as quickly as possible. We weren't dangerously cold, since we had so many supplies, but we didn't like being exposed where the Careers could see us.

"Let's go up," I said.

"It's even colder up there," Kuma said.

"Yeah, but... it's prettier up there," I said. I wanted to go up higher and see what else was up there. "Besides, the Careers are probably starting at the bottom. They wouldn't like being cold."

"Sure, that's the reason," Kuma said, but we started going uphill. The ground was jagged and icy. We crept close to the ground and jammed knees and fingers into divots in the ice to stop ourselves from sliding backwards. I tried to tread lightly so the rocks wouldn't tear my pants.

"Oh, yuck," Kuma said. He held a hand to his nose and it came away bloody.

"What happened? Are you all right?" I asked. Even though we were going uphill, we weren't planning to go to the top. I knew enough about flying to know what happened when people tried to breathe at high altitudes. Once it got hard enough to go on, we were planning to stop. But I'd never heard of anyone getting a nosebleed from thin air.

"This happens every winter. It's no big deal. It's just gross," Kuma said. He sniffed and ran a finger under his nose. "I hope it doesn't freeze in there."

We struggled on a few feet further and the ice gave way to a smooth plain of snow that wasn't nearly as steep. Kuma was ahead of me, and he got to his feet and stepped out onto it.

"Nice! This is way easier to walk on," he said. Then the ground split open and swallowed him up.

* * *

Kuma Swain

I stepped out onto the smooth, gloriously un-icy snow and pumped my fist into the air. After all that horrible ice, it was going to be wonderfully easy to walk on plain snow. But then the snow dissolved from under me. It was like I was trying to stand on a cloud, and as soon as I put my weight on it, it evaporated. I fell through the snow and punched out the other side into a gaping hole in the ice.

"Kuma!" Lucius called from above the crack. His hand appeared and grabbed mine just before I fell out of reach. I lurched to a stop and Lucius slid forward on his stomach to the edge of the crack. He stopped himself with his other hand as I grabbed onto him with both of mine.

"I got you!" he said. He tried to pull me up, but I was too heavy. Bits of snow and ice flaked off at the movement and fell on my face. I let go of him with one of my hands and grabbed onto the edge of the crack. I searched for a grip along the jagged ice. Lucius shifted, and I almost lost my grip.

"Just hold on another minute! Let me get dug in," he said. He wiggled some more and dragged me an inch closer to the edge.

"Okay, I'm wedged in. Climb up over me," he said. He bent closer and I grabbed onto the collar of his jacket. The fabric bunched up as I hauled myself up over his body. As soon as I could grab onto the rest of him, he let go with his hand and used it to brace himself more sturdily on the ice at the edge of the precipice. I got my leg up on the side and pushed myself up over the edge, landing on my stomach on top of him. Lucius unstuck his legs from between the rocks where he'd lodged them and we both wiggled backward, back onto solid ice. We stared at the gaping, bottomless crack that had opened like a mouth in the snow. _That was almost my grave_ , I thought.

"I think we should go down," I said.

"I don't think it's pretty up there after all," he said.

* * *

 **I was going to kill Kuma there, but I changed my mind as I was writing it. I liked him too much.**

 **Reviews are broken but I've been able to read them on email so I can see what people think about living Tributes and make sure not to kill the favorites too soon.**


	38. Dead Snow

Jason Lenn

I felt like a million bucks as Tuesday and I got farther down the mountain. My lungs were full of good, clean air and my head felt clear again. It was still nasty cold and my throat was still sore from taking deep breaths, but it was a great improvement.

"So how do you feel about the Games?" Tuesday asked. Her and her stupid article.

"I don't know. What kind of question is that? I like them. And you can quote me on that," I said.

"Do you ever feel guilty about the people you kill?" she asked.

"No. Whoever dies in here deserved it," I said more firmly. That one wasn't so hard to answer.

I felt even better when I saw the boy picking berries off a tree on the slope below me. I pointed him out to Tuesday and we ducked behind a rocky ledge to plan.

"You wanna race for it or what?" I asked.

"Why don't you go ahead," she said. "You enjoy it so much." Tuesday was an odd duck. She got into this more for her oddball article than for the thrill of it. I knew she could kill someone if she wanted to, but if she was ready to let me do the fun stuff, I could roll with that. I stood up to run after the Tribute. A bit of snow jarred loose and rolled down the slope. The Tribute looked up at the movement and saw me. I'd have to race for it after all.

* * *

Gray Eamon Arden

When I saw the movement, I thought it was an avalanche. It wasn't, but it was still deadly. Jason was tearing down the slope toward me. He was moving downhill, so the slippery snow only helped him go faster. He was stumbling and sliding, but he was still advancing horribly quickly. I ran downhill below him, hoping the slope would help me go fast enough to stay away from him.

I knew he was going to catch up. As he got closer, I sprinted for a patch of ice. At the edge, I threw myself down like I'd tripped. I aimed for a jagged spur of ice and landed on top of it, breaking a chunk off. I gripped it in both hands and pretended I was having a hard time getting up. I heard Jason getting closer behind me. When his shadow fell across me, I whirled around and slammed the ice into the side of his knee, leaning in and down with all my weight as I let out all the rage and resentment I'd felt for the Careers and the Games all my life. His leg buckled and he fell to his knees with the machete still over his head. I jammed a thumb up into his eye and he squealed as he brought the machete down toward my head. I jerked my head to the side and the blade sank into the flesh connecting my neck and my shoulder. Jason pushed the blade further in and toward the ground, and I fell onto my back as it sliced deeper. He pulled the blade out, ripping me up even more, and brought it down toward my head again. I was too close to dodge a second time. I lurched upward and aimed a fist at his head as I met the blade halfway.

* * *

Shane Donegal

It was harder on my own. There was no one to stand guard when I was sleeping. If I heard something, I had to check to make sure it wasn't the Career pack. I wasn't the top predator anymore. I didn't have fellow soldiers with me who were fighting the same fight. I wasn't part of an army anymore. I was one lone warrior in an Arena where everyone wanted to kill me.

I didn't even feel right calling myself a warrior anymore. I hadn't killed anyone or performed any great feats of bravery. When someone sent me a tin of blue paint, I made a few halfhearted dots on my face and put it away. I was just a boy. I didn't deserve a man's paint yet.

Only now was I learning what being a warrior really meant. Reward was based on risk. Great warriors got that way because they went up against formidable opponents and risked their lives. Oftentimes, the ones the stories revered most were the ones that died. Warriors weren't happy-go-lucky adventurers who woke up one day and started a war. It took loyalty, dedication, discipline, and support. I didn't know if I had those things.

When I stumbled across two of my old allies, I ducked behind an ice wall. I looked closer and saw it was Jason and Tuesday. Jason was sitting on the ice and holding one eye. Tuesday was trying to move his hand and peek under it. Off to the side, a Tribute lay dead on the ground.

I could have attacked. I had my shillelagh from the Cornucopia. But I hesitated. In the end, I snuck away. I reasoned that it was because I didn't want to attack someone who was wounded, or that I was outnumbered and should pick my battles, or that I could follow from a distance and only attack if they threatened another Tribute. It was too late for the one they'd killed.

Those were all factors in my decision, but there was also another one. I was afraid. It wasn't the largest reason or the one that decided it, but I was afraid. I never thought about it, but the people in the legends must have been afraid, too. They were only great because they pushed past it. When the time came, I'd have to do the same thing. If I did, then I was worthy to call myself a warrior.

* * *

 **14th place: Grey Eamon Arden- killed by Jason**

 **Grey was more than a dead sister. It worked out to have a POV about the plants that would have saved her, but his form didn't make a big deal about the loss. The Careers were short on kills and I wanted to get some. He went out swinging, though. Thanks Dare to be Something More for Grey, whose name I spelled wrong way too many times. He was well-suited to his District, which often doesn't happen for Twelve tributes. He was also just a good guy, and he'll be missed.**


	39. Slope

Erwin Jackson- District Five mentor

I wasn't sorry to see Slater go. He asked for this. I had a family too before I went into the Arena. I never would have volunteered. He said he wanted to give them a better life. They would have had a better life if he was alive.

* * *

District Five

The machines ran on interrupted. The District kept going without Sita, but we all felt the change. When the machines broke down, it was like they missed her, too. Slater would have been proud of how Connie cared for Serenity. He'd left all his small savings to her in the will he made just in case. Connie took the money straight to the bank, where it would gain interest until Serenity needed it.

* * *

Nubu Sanders- District Twelve mentor

Nothing could make being a Victor worth it. I dreaded the day I had to meet two more Tributes. I did all I could, but I couldn't help them in the Arena. All Victors hated the Arena, but I wished I could have gone back in and stayed with Grey and Allecia.

* * *

District Twelve

There was more food for the others after Grey died. His family didn't think of it that way, but we noticed they weren't as pale and thin. Allecia's mother resigned her position. She didn't want anything to do with the Capitol anymore. She worked with her husband in their shop, and they removed all merchandise related to children.

* * *

 **SLATER HEMATITE-** Onyx Soul

Rhoda didn't care. She didn't even look at his face in the sky. He was just another beaten opponent to her. Careers didn't have empathy even for friends. We only lived because we didn't want to die. I was starting to understand my parents' decision. It had been a long time since I felt anything, and I didn't know what I was feeling at first. It was anger.

* * *

 **ALLECIA CALLISON-** Violet Robbins

I already knew Allecia was dead. When the cannon sounded, the rocks on the pile trembled and slid away to reveal a new plate with her name. It was hard to stay hopeful after that. I'd been telling myself that as long as she was alive, I wasn't the smallest Tribute in the Arena. I was the longest show now.

* * *

Briar Hampton

It was boring staying inside our shelter all the time. We chatted and played simple games and all, but I was going stir crazy. Besides, even with our supplies, my toes and fingers still got stiff if I didn't move around once in a while. I peeked outside our hole to make sure no one was around, and then Gdget and I went to stretch our legs.

"Good morning, Mr. Sun. It's a lovely day," Gidget said after we were out.

"It's a cold, nasty day," I said.

"Yeah, but it's still lovely," Gidget said. The snow was hard as rock around our camp, so we were able to run around without leaving tracks. Not that we ran very far, since any exertion left us panting for breath. Gidget started climbing up the slope as I lay stretched out on my back looking up at the sky.

"Where you going?" I asked.

"I want to stand on that ledge there," she said, pointing.

"Hold on," I said, and I scrambled after her. We reached the ledge and stood on it.

"Wow, this is wonderful. What a great ledge," I joked.

"I wanted to see how far I could see. See, I can see all the way to the bottom. Someone's down there," she said. A tiny figure moved around at the bottom of the mountain.

"We should have done that. I bet it's warmer down there," I said. Then a mischievous idea took hold in my head.

"Saved your life!" I said, nudging Briar slightly. She screamed, and then I screamed.

* * *

Gidget Ford

Briar barely touched me. That wasn't what made me scream. I screamed when, as I shifted weight, my foot hit a patch of ice. I slipped forward off the ledge and landed on the slope. It wasn't a high ledge, so the fall didn't hurt me, but I didn't stop when I landed. I slid down the steep, slippery slope like a sled and gained speed with every second. I was tumbling uncontrollably, and I heard Gidget shrieking in horror. Quinn poked his head out of our shelter at the noise and tried to intercept me, but I was going far too fast. He could only watch as I sped past him and continued down the slope.

The hard-packed snow scraped and bruised me as I fell, and chunks of ice bashed into me as I flew by. The slope started to turn red behind me. I tried to stop myself, but my hands glanced off the hard snow. I tried to look ahead and see if there was a drop below me. I didn't see anything, and I wondered if I'd keep going all the way to the bottom.

My last thoughts as the ice pummeled my life away weren't for me. First I thought of Briar and hoped she didn't blame herself. Then I thought of my daughter. She didn't have to watch me get killed by some Career with a sword. I hoped it looked like I was having fun sliding down a hill.

* * *

Rain Odessa

I thought it was a falling rock. My heart skipped when I saw the flailing arms and legs. She looked like a piece of paper batted around by a hurricane. I heard someone else screaming. I would have screamed too if I hadn't been scared silent.

 _She's leaving a streak._ There was a trail behind her, growing redder every second. She was leaving a trail like an eraser, until it was all rubbed away to nothing.

 _She's going to fast. She'll never stop falling. She'll keep falling forever._

* * *

 **13th place: Gidget Ford- Fell down slope**

 **I don't mind pregnant Tributes, but maybe that's because I've only ever gotten one who was pregnant when Reaped. Gidget was changed by becoming a mother, but that wasn't all of her. She was maternal and more mature than most Tributes, but she also liked to joke and have fun. In one of my books, I read about someone who died like that on K2. He fell, and climbers all along the mountain watched as he fell and fell and fell. It stuck with me and I added something similar. Thank you Birkarandareader for Gidget. She wasn't like most Tributes. She was farther along in life and was more adult than child. She was a good mother and more.**

 **I keep track of POVs so they stay even. Rain's POV here isn't getting counted because it's so short.**


	40. Abominable

Quinn Grice

I followed the trail up the slope to Briar, who was still screaming.

"What happened?" I asked. She didn't answer until I grabbed her arm and shook her.

"I was just joking!" she said.

"You killed her?" I asked. She said something, but I couldn't understand it because she was crying so hard.

"It's okay. Just tell me what happened," I said.

"We wanted to see how far we could see," she said, her voice high and thin. "Then I thought I'd make a joke." Her voice squeaked and she started again. "I just nudged her, like 'saved your life', you know. But she _fell!"_ She dissolved into tears again.

"Why would-" I started. How could she do something so reckless? But I stopped myself. She didn't need me to tell her. She was a wreck. I didn't think she'd ever pull another prank again.

"I'm so sorry," she wailed.

"Let's go," I said. I couldn't imagine staying after what had happened. There was a red streak running down the slope only a few feet from our shelter. Even if it melted away, I'd still see it. I went ahead of her to gather our things as she collected herself.

It never really crossed my mind that she did it on purpose. Briar was a joker, not a killer. And if she had done it on purpose, she wouldn't have done it in broad daylight. She would have done it at night. I'd have most likely thought Gidget went up the use the restroom and fell in the darkness. It was just a horrible, terrible accident, and I didn't need to make Briar feel any worse, even if I could.

I couldn't stop thinking about it as I packed. I kept seeing her flying past me like a rocket, and that horrible trail she left. I didn't want to make it worse for Briar, but I _did_ resent her for her carelessness. I didn't hate her, but I wouldn't look at her the same anymore.

* * *

Keylor Herald

My skin felt like paper stretched across flesh. I brought my hand up to brush away some snow, and my fingertip flaked off like a scab. It was black and dead, and it lay darkly in the snow.

Every step took longer than the last. I wasn't sure I would ever make it to the top. I took long, slow breaths, but it was like breathing through a straw. My lungs burned and I could barely stand. I dragged myself up the snow on my stomach. The summit remained in the distance, probably much farther away than it looked.

When I saw someone else on the slope, I thought they must be superhuman. Someone was walking upright, and they didn't seem tired at all. The Tribute was massively tall, too. I wondered briefly if it was the boy from Three, but it was too widely built. But it might have just been my eyes playing tricks. The constant blinding snow was weakening them. I'd been squinting for ages.

That was no Tribute. It was a mutt. I should have known the Gamemakers would send it in. We all knew the old stories about giant ape-men that lived on mountains. We still didn't know if they were real or not, even though there was no evidence for them. They were real now.

My clothes were white and gray. I didn't have the strength to run away, so I ducked my head under my arm and hoped the mutt didn't hunt by smell. I peeked out underneath my arm and watched it move around. It looked like it was about seven feet tall, and it had long arms like a gorilla. I shuffled around the snow, poking behind rocks and leaving humongous tracks. It was far below me, and it didn't go up high enough to come across me. After it poked around awhile, it turned and meandered away. I felt bad for whoever it met next. It might notice them that time.

* * *

Tuesday Erelle

"Do you have a quote for us?" I asked Jason, holding the camera up for him to speak into.

"Friends, Romans, countrymen... lend me your ears," she started. "I, Jason Lenn, solemnly attest that Tuesday is a wiener."

"Oh my goodness, I meant about the fight," I said. Jason was still limping, and he kept stopping himself from rubbing at his sore eye.

"Okay, here's a quote. Ouch," he said. "How about next time you fight and I watch. Do you even want to fight? You don't seem very into it," he said. "Let's have the camera hear that answer."

"Of course I can fight! Next one's all me," I said. We were still halfheartedly looking for Tributes, but we were mostly counting the minutes until it was dark enough for us to go back to the Cornucopia and meet up with Rhoda and Onyx. Jason had to be sorer than he was letting on.

A metal box glinted in the sky, and I jumped to catch the parachute.

"Is it for me?" Jason asked, probably hoping for an eye patch. I opened it and a plastic camera fell out, along with a note.

 _We're bending the rules here. For picture-taking ONLY!- Ava_

"Would that be expensive, or it would be cheap?" Jason mused. I picked the camera up and aimed it as the two of us.

"Selfie!" I said. Jason dodged.

"No! I'm all gross-looking!" he said. He turned to the side so his good eye faced the camera. "Okay, go ahead."


	41. Paradise Lost

**Gidget was battered to death by the rocks and ice of the slope and was dead before she reached either a flatter patch of slope or a dropoff, whichever came first.**

* * *

Violet Robbins

It was almost homey at the bottom of the mountain. The air was sweet and clear and the water from the river was clean. I knew water was cleanest at its source, and the river seemed to come strraight from the mountain. As far as I could tell it was clean, and I hadn't had any ill effects yet from drinking it.

It wasn't warm enough for there to be any bugs, but there were some water lilies in the river, and I knew those were edible. They were small and shriveled from the cold, so it took a long time to gather enough to eat. I was so focused on it that I didn't notice I had company until they were right on top of me.

"This one's all yours, right?" Jason said from behind me. I turned around and saw him standing next to Tuesday ten feet away from me. Tuesday looked reluctant, but she took out the massive sword on her back. I should have run, but I was frozen in place.

"Sorry," she said as she got closer. It wasn't sarcastic, either. She sounded like she really meant it. Then we both looked to the side as some maniac with a blue face crashed through the sparse greenery around the river. Shane launched himself at Tuesday and she dodged back as she got her sword up to defend herself. Jason was distracted for an instant by the commotion, and I took the chance to bolt. Tuesday was busy trying not to die, and Jason only had time to shy a rock at me as I ran before he turned back to help his ally. I heard sounds of combat, and I waited to hear the cannons.

* * *

Shane Donegal

It was time to see what I was made of. I didn't know what would happen when the moment came. When Tuesday advanced on Violet, I burst into action. I didn't consciously think about it. It just happened, and all my brain registered was relief that I wasn't a coward after all. It didn't seem to matter anymore that I was in danger. I only cared about protecting someone innocent and fighting the bad guys.

Tuesday didn't charge back at me like I expected. She stepped back and brought up her sword defensively. She angled it to protect her head and chest, so I struck at her hand instead. She screamed and fell toward the ground. I struck her leg as she fell and it folded under her. Her sword dug into the dirt as she gasped and rolled backwards away from me.

"Hey!" Jason ran in to defend his ally. He started to pull his machete out as he charged. I swung my shillelagh like a bat and it thwacked across his head. It was like before, when I jumped out to start the battle. All the thoughts left my head and I hit him again and again as he tried to get closer to me. Hs head dented after one of the blows, and he spun away and smacked against the ground. I heard Tuesday squalling between the dull cracks. My shillelagh came up dotted with blood and I could see the droplets glistening in the air.

I'd never been more afraid. I'd never begun to imagine how scary it was to fight. The stories only told about the glory that came after a battle. I wondered if they were as scared as I was while it was happening. I was a warrior now, for better or for worse. There was no going back from this.

* * *

Jason Lenn

One time, when I was pretending to build a rocket as a little kid, I smashed my finger with a hammer. Every one of Jason's attacks brought that same feeling back. Each strike brought a tiny but horribly forceful burst of pain from the stone on the end of his stick.

I'd seen death, but I'd never understood it before. Valerie did, and now I saw what she did. We Careers thought we were invincible. We were the only ones not afraid of death, because we didn't think it was possible for us. And as the blows kept falling, I understood something else.

It hurt. It hurt like I didn't know it could. But I didn't cry out. Not because I was too tough, but because the pain was beyond any noise I could make. It must have been the same for Valerie. She was faking. She was trying to make it sound awful so I would know what it was like. She'd done it so I wouldn't follow her.

I blew it. I used to love her more than anything, but I didn't measure up to her. She loved me enough to give up her pride, her honor, and all her value in our District. She pretended to be a coward just to save me, and I went and did this. I had a lot to apologize for when I saw her. I wouldn't have to pretend I didn't love her anymore.

* * *

Tuesday Erelle

I tried to get up, but something was broken in my leg. I couldn't stand, and I tried to heft myself up on the handle of my sword. I wanted to get over to Jason and help him, but I wasn't fast enough. His cannon sounded, and then Shane turned to me.

"Get away," I said, and I held my sword up as I lay on my back. I shoved it out at him and tried to make it look like I wasn't desperately stalling the end. Shane looked down and saw how I was awkwardly leaned off one leg. He looked at my hand and I tried to keep my face straight and not betray that it was shattered. He turned away, and I watched him leave.

I couldn't do it. If Shane hadn't come, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. I looked at Lily and I thought of the times I'd seen her before in the training room. I thought of Gidget and the interview. She stopped being a character and started being a person, and the same happened to Lily. All their stories were valuable, and killing them was to cut those stories short. I couldn't do it anymore. That probably killed me. Not that it made much difference. I had a broken leg and my allies were halfway uo the mountain.

I dragged myself over to Jason and aimed the Arena camera at him. I was going to continue the narrations, but they weren't going to be the same. No more fun and drama. I was going to tell the truth.

"This is Jason Lenn. His skull is broken. His head is smashed. I saw it happen. It sounded like someone hitting a baseball. I saw the bones break and I saw the life go out. He was sixteen..."

* * *

 **12th place: Jason Lenn- beaten to death by Shane**

 **Jason was kind of a screw-up. Valerie went full "Angels with Dirty Faces" for him (I'm kind of a dinosaur when it comes to movies) and he went and volunteered anyway. But he wasn't a bad guy so much as a very angry and hurt brother. We couldn't expect him to throw away all the socialization of Two just like that. He learned it more slowly and came to understand at the end. Now they're both past the Games and they can just be a brother and a sister. Thanks ItsaCatsWorld for Jason and Valerie (It's probably obvious, but it's important to note they had the same submitter). They show what environment can do to anyone.**

 **Some characters got a POV ahead of schedule because they were in the scene and it made sense to get their reaction. Lucius and Kuma have been waiting patiently and are next on the list.**


	42. Breaking News

**GIDGET FORD-** Briar Hampton

She used to like to joke and laugh. I hoped wherever she was, she could still do it. I wasn't ever going to do anything like that again.

* * *

 **JASON LENN-** Tuesday Erelle

Now he was just a finished story to them. He was old news. He wasn't just a story. He was a person, and they didn't care. They wouldn't care about me either if I died.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

The sun was up. It was a new day in the Arena. It was warm enough that the snow was almost sticky. It wasn't as fine and powdery as usual. As the temperature fluctuated, it was softening and hardening into smooth slabs.

"So what's your plan for the rest of the Games?" I asked Kuma.

"Try not to make the Careers mad. Hope everyone else makes the Careers mad," he said.

"Two of them are already gone," I said.

"Four more and we're good," he said. I followed him onto a rocky outcropping so we could survey our surroundings.

"Oh shoot," he said suddenly, and he ducked.

"What is it?" I asked as I followed.

"Down there," he said. He pointed down the slope. We could see all the way to the bottom, and someone was down there. It looked like a girl, and she was crawling. She must have been wounded.

"It's a Career," Kuma said. I squinted and saw the glint of metal off some weapon.

"Let's not make her mad," I joked. Kuma looked out at the snow around us.

"You know what? Let's make her mad," he said.

* * *

Kuma Swain

Lucius and I stayed low on the ledge as we made our plan. We crept up and down the slope until we found what I was looking for. On the edge of one of the ledges, there was a rock. It was almost as big as I was, and we could barely budge it working together. But that was all we needed.

"You really think this will work?" Lucius asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe it won't go off at all, or maybe the snow will slide three feet and piddle out," I said.

"Then she'll be really mad," Lucius said.

"She might crawl all the way up here and kick our butts. We better watch out," I said. It was hard to feel sympathy for the Career we were targeting. She was in here because she wanted to be. We were only doing to her what they did to us.

"Ready?" I asked. Lucius was wedged in next to me, our back to the wall and our legs against the rock. "One, two, three!"

We both pushed with all our might. It wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped, since the rock didn't tip over on three. We had to sit there and keep straining for a few more minutes until we shoved it over the edge. It fell twenty feet and plopped into the snow.

As it landed, the rock sent up a ring of powder from the impact. Then the snow under the rock came to life. It broke off from the rest of the slope, leaving a clear seam behind. It started to slide down the slope like sand, the surface becoming more chunky as other bits of snow and ice joined in. It looked like a wave as it picked up speed.

"It actually worked," Lucius said.

* * *

Tuesday Erelle

Something white was moving around above me. When I looked up, the entire mountain was coming for me. Like a giant icy blanket, the snow rocketed down the mountain right at me.

I tried to crawl out of the way, but there was no way I could make it in time. The sheet of snow got wider every second, much faster than I could crawl. It hit me like a wave, tumbling me over and spinning me like a leaf. It was soft and forceful at the same time, like bobbing in the ocean and getting hit by a car all at once. Everything turned white, then black.

I was still awake. I just couldn't see anything. I was pinned down by snow as heavy as concrete. I could barely move one arm, and I took the camera out of my pocket. It had a tiny light on it, just enough for me to be able to see.

I was buried in a tiny pocket of snow barely bigger than I was. I punched at the snow with my free hand, but it was like hitting a rock. It was so hard-packed and heavy I couldn't even dig out my other hand. I almost panicked when I realized I didn't know how far away the surface was. My breath melted the snow around my face and it refroze to a sheet of ice. It started to get stuffy, and I realized I was suffocating. I pounded at my snowy prison and battered it with my fist, but it was too heavy. I picked up my camera one last time.

"Hey everybody. Welcome to the Tuesday show. A lot has changed since the last episode. I guess I got it into my head that I could tell it as it was and show you what it was like, but who am I kidding? You see the Games every year. They're not censored. You know what it's like, and you don't care. You won't change your mind for me. Most of you are only watching because you have to, but I know some of you look forward to this. You're glued to the screen now, aren't you? You're waiting to watch the air run out and see me gasp out my last breaths. Sorry, but not this time. I have this recording, and there are some pictures in my bag. You can get most of the story from that. The last bit is nobody's but mine," I said. I tucked the camera into my pocket. No one but me would see what happened next.

* * *

 **11th place: Tuesday Erelle- suffocation**

 **Tuesday was an odd duck. It took guts to volunteer for the Games just to get an inside scoop. She _was_ skilled, but she wasn't a Career at heart. She was a journalist. She played the part well enough to avoid getting picked off as weak, but she probably wouldn't have won against whoever else was left at the end. She got some snapshots that will certainly become prized memorabilia, and she learned to look past the story and see the people. Thanks Everlastingimpression for Tuesday. It was inevitable that someone like her would volunteer, but I'd never seen it before.**


	43. Icicle

Rain Odessa

I didn't expect to run across Shane. I'd been wary about running across anyone else, now that I knew how much weaker I was than I'd thought. He and I saw each other across twenty feet of slope as I crept along a ledge five feet off the ground. He and I both jumped, but he set down his stick and waved.

"Hey, Rainey," he said. "You with the rest of the Careers?" I checked behind me to make sure the path was clear before I answered.

"No. I broke off," I said honestly. Shane would have figured it out eventually, and I didn't think he wanted a fight. He had all those ideas about honor and warfare. He would have attacked Rhoda or Onyx, but not me.

"Me, too," he said. "I didn't fit in."

"Neither did I," I said. He started to come closer and I jumped down off the ledge, sliding my way across the ice I'd been on the ledge to avoid. I met him in the middle and we sat on some rocks.

"Guess we're a couple of rejects," Shane said. I didn't know why they'd reject him. Me I could understand, but he was strong.

"Why'd you leave?" I asked.

"That wasn't who I was after all," Shane said, and he shrugged. "How about you?"

"That's who I wanted to be, but I got ahead of myself," I said.

"I thought you were going to win it all and be the youngest Victor ever," Shane said.

"I guess I was being a little overconfident," I said. "But I was smart enough to know it wasn't safe to stick around."

"I've been wandering around defending maidens and picking fights," Shane said. "You can hang around a while if you want."

"Really? You want me?" I asked.

"Why not? You're tough. You know you're stuff. You're small, but that doesn't mean you can't win. You were smart enough to cut your losses," Shane said.

 _Shane thinks I'm tough? Shane, who's twice as big as me?_ It was what I'd been looking for all along. I'd told myself I was big and strong and tough because I'd wanted someone else to say it. It made my day.

* * *

Onyx Soul

It was troubling to feel my first emotion. I'd been trained all my life to carry out missions and get results. The feelings that kept nagging at me distracted me. They were unwelcome bothers. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what I was feeling. First it was anger, but then others came and mixed all together until I didn't know what to think.

I thought back to my parents. They were like me at first. But they had me, which meant they cared something about life. They quit the program. They must have felt guilt, or at least aversion. They said they wanted something different for me, which meant they had hope. They were so far ahead of me in emotion, but I was starting to follow behind.

The others couldn't know about this. Jason and Tuesday were out of the way, but I couldn't let Rhoda know about my confusion. I had to stay tough and stoic. She couldn't know about my newfound doubts. I wasn't sure I could kill anyone anymore if it came down to it, not unless my life was at stake. I was starting to think life was precious. That was the most dangerous state possible for a Career.

"Hey." Rhoda interrupted my thoughts. She pointed down the slope at two figures far beneath us. They were slowly hauling themselves down the mountain. Rhoda held a hand to her lips and reached into her bag. She took out one of the collapsible spears from the Cornucopia and started to telescope it out. She reached her arm back to throw.

For the first time, I acted on emotion. Maybe it was because I was so unused to them, but I didn't know how strong they were or how oddly they could make people act. I lurched forward and shoved my shoulder into Rhoda, knocking her a step sideways. Before I had time to think about what I'd done, she twisted and shoved the spear through my middle.

"I knew we shouldn't trust you," she said. Her expression changed from anger back to confusion. "Why are you smiling?"

She backed away, but that wasn't the reason. I'd found what it was that was so valuable my parents were willing to die for it. Emotions were so powerful they overwhelmed me. I could see why people could be ruled by them. I'd barely tasted them, but I was glad I discovered them. I only wished I could have explored them more.

* * *

Briar Hampton

A cannon sounded. I looked up at the noise, and Quinn and I looked around at the Arena. He suddenly yelled and pointed at something above us. I turned and caught a glimpse of something glinting in the air before the spear hit me. It knocked me onto my back in the snow. I was lucky it wasn't a steep patch, or I'd have ended up just like Gidget.

ITALICS Maybe I deserve this, I thought. The snow below me was starting to turn red, just like before. If I saw Gidget again, I'd tell her how sorry I was. Maybe it would be enough for her that I died too. She wasn't the vengeful kind. She might not even be mad.

I was looking straight up at the sky, but I could hear Quinn running away. I was glad he was going. It was too late for me, and Rhoda probably had more spears. I didn't want him to stay. I didn't want to cause anyone else's death. I hoped he won. I was tired of sad things.

* * *

 **10th place: Onyx Soul- Speared by Rhoda**

 **Onyx was complicated. His form was long and detailed, and the submitter admitted I wouldn't be able to get all that in. He belonged to the same organization as Silken Alois and Farlan Lionhardt from the 28th Games. He was an assassin rather than a Career, and he was starting to break free of the indoctrination even before he was Reaped. He was taught not to feel, but in the end he went his own way, like the form requested. Thanks tinks for Onyx. He was a unique Career without being another soft-hearted Career who had no place volunteering (but then, he didn't volunteer). It was hard to make his arc fit, but it was worth it.**

 **9th place: Briar Hampton- Speared by Rhoda**

 **I thought Gidget's death would make Briar's popularity plummet, and I'm glad it didn't. Briar really was just joking around, and the accident devastated her. She likely would have been too depressed to win in any case, and she wasn't strong enough to fight most of the people who were left. Her form didn't even predict she'd make it this far. She wasn't fit for the Games, which is a good thing. Thanks Mysticalpineforest for Briar, who added some levity but also learned from her mistakes.**

 **I usually only put allies together by request, but I went out on a limb with Shane and Rain (omg JUST noticed they rhyme). Shane was looking for strong allies and Rain wanted to be noticed and liked. They're District partners and they're both outcast Careers, so it was so perfect I made it happen. I left Rain's POV open-ended so that if either party objects, I can reverse the alliance.**


	44. Summit

Ava Hanson

Pray was cussing up a storm as she paced around the room. From what I heard, she thought Tuesday was the dumbest girl ever raised in Two. Jason was okay, but she wished he had done better. All this was hidden between a string of insults that made me blush. If she hadn't been pregnant, it would have been worse. She also cussed out her baby, since because of her, she couldn't drink.

* * *

District Two

Jason died like a man. He didn't win, but he gave all he had. We could bear to look back at them as just two more volunteers and not probe any deeper than that. We didn't know what to make of Tuesday. She wasn't conventional, that much was sure. She shouldn't have gotten through the Academy at all. We needed to tighten up the standards.

* * *

Calvary Warsaw

Who would have seen that coming. Someone who pulled pranks in the Arena had it blow up in their face. As just as it was, I was sorry it turned out that way for Briar. She was just trying to goof around. If everyone was as goofy as her, we wouldn't need so many Peacekeepers. It's hard to fight someone when you're slipping on a banana peel. And Socks, well, that was just mean.

* * *

District Ten

We all knew Socks. No one who saw him ever forgot it. It was weird not having him around. He never hurt anyone. No one should have hurt him. We empathized with Briar. We all had something to feel guilty about, especially the parents that couldn't protect a child.

* * *

 **ONYX SOUL-** Rhoda Hamilton

I was so close to bringing it home for them. If I couldn't be me, I'd wanted it to be another Career. But not Onyx. He wasn't really one of us. He didn't have any loyalty, not to allies or to his country. I couldn't imagine what would make someone just abandon their friends. He wasn't loyal to anything. I didn't understand it.

* * *

 **TUESDAY ERELLE-** Shane Donegal

She died after all. I didn't think her wounds were fatal. I wouldn't have left her exposed like that if I'd known. The Careers were falling apart. Maybe an underdog was going to win after all.

* * *

 **JASON LENN-** Violet Robbins

Three Careers in a row. Only Rhoda, Shane, and Rain left. And Shane wasn't really a Career anymore. He attacked Tuesday for whatever reason. If they kept fighting each other, the rest of us had a chance.

* * *

 **BRIAR HAMPTON-** Quinn Grice

As quickly as I gained them, my allies were gone. I was alone again, at the mercy of the Careers and whatever else lurked in the Arena. It was cold that night without them. It had never felt colder.

* * *

Keylor Herald

I couldn't tell how high I was anymore. I didn't have the strength to raise my head. I pulled myself forward a foot at a time with stiff, frozen arms. I wasn't sure how much of me was still alive. If I stood, I wouldn't have been surprised if a leg splintered and fell off. I was falling apart. I couldn't feel anything but my heartbeat and the inside of my mouth.

I couldn't see anything but vague outlines. The bright snow had seared my eyes so much I was blind. I could hear my breath, harsh and panting as I moved up. Somewhere along the line, I'd crossed the point of no return. There was no point turning back. It would end the same either way. And if that was the case, I wanted to die on the top.

The ground flattened out under me slowly. I could hardly see anything, but the flatness told me I was on a plateau. I felt my way forward and it stayed flat. All I saw when I looked up was a white and blue blur. It had to be the sky. I was on the top.

I scooted around and looked down. The mountain stretched out beneath me in a gray mass. I sucked in air and felt the last of my energy draining away. I'd reached my destination. I didn't need to move anymore.

There was one more thing I had to do. I laboriously peeled off one glove and laid it on the ice. When the hovercraft came for me, that would be left behind. If anyone came up after me, they'd see my mark and know. I was the first. I was the first to climb the mountain in all history. They'd remember that.

* * *

 **8th place: Keylor Herald- exposure**

 **In real life, there is no way imaginable that someone with no experience and climbing without any equipment would get near the summit of K2. Keylor would have died from hypoxia, edema, exposure, falling, or a million other ways. Therefore, I left his POV ambiguous. He was snowblind and couldn't tell how high he was on the mountain. All I'll say is that he _did_ get higher than anyone else. Realists and idealists can have it their own way. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Keylor. He had a unique goal of being remembered and went about it in a unique way.**


	45. Yeti

Quinn Grice

I needed to find a new shelter before the sun went down. I had supplies, but I wasn't sure I could survive an entire night in the open. I looked for cracks in the ice, but I was wary after the groaning I'd heard a while ago. It had sounded like an avalanche.

I was hesitant when I came across a cave. It seemed to good to be true, and I feared the Careers had already claimed it. But I didn't see any signs of habitation. There weren't any tracks outside the cave. But then, it was windy in the Arena. They might have blown away. I chucked a rock inside the cave and dove to one side. It clattered against the floor, and then the cave was silent again. I threw another rock around the edge of the cave in case someone was playing possum in there, and when nothing happened, I ventured inside.

The mouth of the cave was six feet tall, and the cave went back about seven feet. It was really more a nook than a cave, but I wasn't picky. I scooted in all the way to the back and started spreading out my canvas on the floor. I felt something soft and closed my fingers over it. I brought it up to my face to see in the dim light. I was holding a handful of strands of white fur.

This was not the Career's cave, but it sure belonged to someone. They could have it. I scooped up my canvas and ran for the cave mouth. I made it out before whatever lived there blocked the way, but not by much. As I ran outside, I saw a huge white mutt approaching the cave from the side. It saw me and roared like a gorilla. It ran at me, and it was too close to miss.

There was no fighting that thing. The snowman-mutt grabbed me with both arms and I was pinned. I tossed me to the ground and slammed both fists down on me. Before I could even recover, it was coming at me with its teeth. All those years, my brain had been telling me something terrible would happen. It never once warned me about this.

* * *

Rain Odessa

It was night again. Two people had died during the day, but the Anthem hadn't played yet. It got dark early here.

"Back in a minute," I said. Shane got my drift and didn't ask where I was going. There was only one reason anyone would leave a warm fire and go off alone in the night in a frozen Arena. I carefully selected a location that was downhill, within earshot, but not within sight of Shane. I went to hide myself behind a rock and tripped over the girl who was sheltering there.

Instinct and training took over. I didn't even scream, I was so focused. I tore my knife from my pocket and smashed it into her throat. The girl gurgled quietly and her noises were punctuated by more thuds as I tore the knife out and stabbed it back in as quickly as I could. She wasn't really fighting back, but I still didn't stop until I heard her cannon.

After she was dead, I saw who it was and recoiled. It was Violet. Shane had told me about her. He attacked Jason and Tuesday to save her. He wasn't going to be happy to hear I killed her.

 _So he won't hear it._

I wiped the knife in the snow and started running back toward the fire. Shane was already up and looking for me. He saw me coming and ran to meet me.

"I was afraid it was you," I said.

"I was afraid it was YOU," he said.

"I guess we'll see who it was soon," I said. I thought of the girl I'd left bloodied behind a rock and felt guilty. But I couldn't pity myself. I volunteered, and I had to see it through.

* * *

Violet Robbins

It was dark when the girl attacked me. Maybe too dark for the cameras to get a good shot. My family might not have to watch as the girl stabbed me. Or at least it wouldn't be very detailed. My flesh tore like ribbons under her knife. It hurt like it was burning and freezing all at once. But they'd never know all that. There was a silver lining to everything.

* * *

 **7th place: Quinn Grice- Attacked by Yeti**

 **Quinn had a mental condition, but that didn't make him nuts. He managed it and worked past it, and he made a lot of progress in the Capitol. He was also a dog lover, a good ally, and a lover of all things purple. He made it this far with caution and good decisions, but there's not much you can do when a yeti attacks you. Thanks CarlpoppaLOL for Quintic. He gave me an opportunity to do some research and he didn't let his difficulties limit him.**

 **6th place: Violet Robbins- Stabbed by Rain**

 **Violet was a time bomb. Eventually the Careers were going to find her, and then there wasn't much hope for her. Unless she managed to hide until they were all dead, this was inevitable. But Violet gained loyal fans with her optimism, realistic strategy, and adaptability. Thanks Comettail for Violet. She made the best of things and lasted longer than a lot of similar Tributes would have.**


	46. Frozen Heart

Acee Hal

People were so ready to dismiss Quinn because of his abnormalities. He proved them wrong. I just wished he could have done it by winning. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with Gidget's baby, which I'd been stuck caring for since she left. I tried to tell them the girl should be with her father, but they said rules are rules. Well, Gidget was dead now- dead too soon, I thought- and I was hightailing it to Three before I dropped the tiny thing. I'd been dreading it ever since I picked it up.

* * *

District Three

Quinn's brother took over feeding scraps to the mutt. It didn't make up for the loss, but it was something to remember him by. Gidget's husband welcomed Acee and scooped up the baby he'd been waiting a week to see. He named her Marie, after his wife's middle name. Acee shared some of her mostly unused wealth and ended up as Marie's godmother, but declined to visit until the baby was big enough to survive being dropped.

* * *

Paul Olson

Keylor knew what he was doing when he pushed on past the Death Zone. There was no way out of the Arena for him, so he went up instead. When tourists visited the Arena after it was done, they'd see the marker he left behind and wonder how anyone could so inexperienced could get that high. Violet did very well in an Arena so unsuited to her skills. I'd been rooting for Keylor so I wouldn't have to mentor anymore, but I missed her, too.

* * *

District Seven

Violet's dad released most of her pets and watched them fly away. He kept the ant farm. The other insects would have died eventually, but the and farm was always the same. Keylor had never been noteworthy in Seven before, but none of us would ever be able to say we climbed a mountain. Mostly because there were no mountains in Seven.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

I looked terrible. Even with all my gear, any exposed area of skin was still frozen. There were black splotches on my face where the flesh had died. I wasn't vain enough to mourn for it, but I hoped it didn't turn my sponsors away. I still wanted to make them proud. But I was confident they weren't that shallow. Panem is for everyone, not just "pretty" people.

Enough frippery. I had to focus on the important stuff. There were four people left I had to kill. And I was confident I'd have to do most of the killing. Rainey was too little, Shane was too... weird, and Kuma and Lucius weren't Careers. I hoped they were all farther down the mountain, because I couldn't take the thin air anymore. I'd almost fainted earlier, and I knew it was time to turn back.

A plume of smoke rose up from across the slope. It didn't take a genius to figure out who must be there. The only one who could afford to draw attention like that was Shane. I snuck closer, keeping myself close to the ground so he wouldn't see me.

When I got in sight, I saw he wasn't alone. Rain was with him. They were sitting around a fire poking at each other like a pair of old friends. Shane got all close to her face, like they were about to kiss. I was sure that wasn't it, since he was a oddball, not a pervert, but it didn't matter anyway.

Seeing them together changed my plans. I hadn't been sure wanted to attack Shane straight off. He was the strongest opponent left. I wanted to give my sponsors and the people a good show. It would be ideal if I fought Shane last. I'd gone closer more to scope out the situation.

Rainey was a different story. She was a cute kid, but she wasn't a threat. I admired her guts for volunteering so young. She was a good patriot, even if she was a little overeager. Young or not, she understood the importance of the Games and wanted to be a part of them. She wasn't strong enough to win, but the next best thing was to die well. If I didn't win, I'd want to die by the strongest, which was why I was leaving Shane for last. Rainey was a fighter, and I wanted to do the same for her.

* * *

Shane Donegal

"What are those dots on your face?" Rainey asked as we warmed up around a fire.

"They're war paint. I got started, but I wasn't sure I should put on a lot yet. I haven't really done anything noteworthy," I said. Then I had an idea. "Hey, let's put some on you."

"Me? Really?" Rain asked.

"Sure, you're a warrior. You wouldn't have gotten this far if you weren't," I said. I got out my compact of blue paint. "I got this." I started a design on her cheek.

"What is it?" she asked, smudging the paint.

"It's a dolphin. My people thought they were very special. They represent intelligence and good luck. That seemed appropriate, and plus we're from Four," I said. I finished the design and added a swirl under it to represent water. Rain looked at herself in the reflection from her dagger and smiled.

"It's so cool. What about you, though? You need one," she said.

"What should I put?" I asked.

"Whatever you guys thought meant 'warrior'," she said. I smiled softly.

"I don't think I deserve that yet," I admitted. I thought through the symbols and came up with one that matched. Rain seemed unimpressed.

"A swirl? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It has a lot of meanings. It can mean progress, or expansion, or journeying and development. I've learned a lot since I volunteered. If I win I'll change it," I said. Rain opened her mouth to say something, but froze when the spear burst from her chest.

* * *

Rain Odessa

It came out of nowhere. I was about to tell Shane he should add something stronger when my back lit on fire and I looked down to see a spear sticking through me. I sucked in a painful breath and blood bubbled up into my mouth. Shane jumped up and over me, standing behind me and looking for whoever did it. He must have seen her, because he started to run after her. I twisted and tried to grab his leg. The spear jerked inside me painfully.

"Don't go!" I tried to yell, but it came out a wheeze. Shane looked up at whoever stabbed me, and I saw Rhoda running sideways along the mountain. He turned back around and sat next to me.

"I'm scared," I said. I should have seen this coming from the start. After I volunteered, I realized what I'd done to myself. I'd been dreading this ever since, and it was time to pay for my mistake.

"It's okay," Shane said. I fell sideways and lay on the snow. I reached out a hand and Shane took it. A tear fell from his eye and landed on my face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and then wondered why I'd ask such a stupid question.

"I should have seen her. She shouldn't have been able to do this to you," he said.

"It's my fault. Just stay with me," I said. I felt my life draining and clung to him with both hands. "Don't let me go. I don't want to die."

"Don't worry. I'm here," he said. He stayed there until I was gone.

* * *

 **5th place: Rain Odessa- Speared by Rhoda**

 **I should have noted earlier that I mostly go by canon, but I do allow Victors of any age, just so everyone has a chance. It's extremely unlikely, but it could happen. Rain learned a lot after she volunteered. She was a little know-it-all who could have been insufferable, but she realized her screwup and went into damage control. She did admirably well keeping herself alive and acknowledging her mistakes. She was smart enough to leave the Careers and ally with Shane, but she was playing with too many disadvantages. In the end, she was just a kid who wanted to be noticed, and she did get that. Thanks Sora Kalopsia for Rain. People were afraid she was going to be a Mary Sue, but she didn't end up as one. She just tried too hard to impress people.**

 **Unfortunately, the votes were pretty much even. I now have more and better reasons for each tribute to win. Rain was the only one who I was able to kill this chapter, and it wasn't because people didn't like her. Most people did like her, but everyone admitted she was too young and inexperienced to win. I'll see what this chapter does to people's opinions and I'm getting some ideas toward a finale.**


	47. Stone Cold

**RAIN ODESSA-** Shane Donegal

I was just full of pipe dreams, wasn't I? First I thought I was some legendary warrior keeping the torch alive for dead ancestors. Once I learned how wrong that was, I fancied myself as a protector of the downtrodden. That didn't work so well for Violet or Rain. I was as muddle-headed as ever. I couldn't protect the others. Only one came out.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

"There's only four of us left," I said. Kuma seemed as nervous as I was.

"Two Careers, and us. Guess we're the targets," he said. We looked out at the snow, each pondering our even more obvious mortality and wondering how long we had before the peace was broken.

"We don't have to be so glum. Anything can happen. Careers don't always win," I said.

"That's true," Kuma said, but he seemed inconvinced. He smiled suddenly. "I bet you could do it. You pulled me out of an abyss."

"I didn't really pull you out. You climbed out yourself. So really, you could do it," I said.

"It's a long shot. Everything's a long shot unless you live in the Capitol," Kuma said.  
But don't let me get you down. But then, I don't anything can get you down."

"You're the one who supports your whole family and will probably own Eleven someday," I said.

"That's me. Kuma "CEO" Swain," Kuma said, smiling wistfully. He looked out at the snow and everything was quiet. "If you win, will you take care of my mother? Just slip her some money on the victory tour or something?"

"Yeah, no problem," I said casually. I didn't want it to be a big deal. Then we'd have to think about how real it was.

"I'll do the same for you if I win," Kuma said. I shrugged.

"We don't really need money. We're not rich or anything, but we're not hard up," I said.

"Oh," Kuma said. He sounded disappointed. I wanted to give him something, so I went on.

"This is kind of silly," I started.

"Come on, let's hear it," Kuma said. I smiled with embarrassment.

"I always wanted to do that thing where they burn you up and shoot the ashes up in a firework," I said. "You know, like a plane."

"They can do that?" Kuma asked. "Wow. That's the coolest thing ever. A death that cool makes up for dying. I'll tell them to make a big red one. It'll be super cool."

I was glad we were getting to cheerier things, even if it was a cheery death we were discussing. It didn't do any good to dwell on bad possibilities. We had to keep going forward and not give up.

* * *

Kuma Swain

The thing to do was to see the Careers before they saw us. Lucius and I climbed up to a skinny ledge that jutted out from the slope. From there, we could look all around and hopefully throw some rocks at the Careers from afar when they approached. We crept out and around the narrow precipice all the way to the end, which looked out over an expansive gorge in the mountain.

As we were going backwards to look the other direction, I noticed our mistake. Our plan to spy on the Careers had been flawed from the start, because they'd had the same idea. Rhoda stood at the start of the ledge, her sword already out.

"I was hoping you'd go out there. I've been waiting for hours for you to box yourselves in," she said. She stepped out onto the ledge, and Lucius and I backed away reflexively. We reached the edge and stood with our backs to the open air.

"Where's your friend?" I asked, trying to stall and make a plan. She shrugged.

"I don't care. He wasn't a friend after all. He's next," she said.

"You gonna kill us both at once? You're not that good," Lucius said from behind me.

"Maybe not. Guess we'll find- AGH!" she yelled suddenly and jumped forward. Lucius and I both drew back. I stepped back and knocked into him. His foot slid over the ledge and he dropped like a stone. He tried to grab the edge of the ice, but he fell forward and tumbled head over heels in the air. He hit the ground and the sound of the cannon muffled the crunch of impact. Before I turned around from trying to grab him, Rhoda's sword was in my back.

Neither of us could keep our promises in the end. Maybe they were on tape, but Rhoda didn't seem like the sentimental type. She braced her leg on my back and yanked the sword out, shoving me over the edge at the same time. I ended up back with my friend. I twisted so I wouldn't land on top of him. I could do that much for him.

* * *

Lucius Petrol

That wasn't what I meant by flying. It was up to Kuma to take it home for us. Not all dreams come true, but I gave it a good shot.

* * *

 **4th place: Lucius Petrol- Fell from ledge**

 **Lucius and Kuma were two cool dudes, but they got that far by not being in the same place as the Careers. Lucius had a lot going for him. He was ambitious and driven, and he played the game smartly. It was simply a matter of Rhoda being trained just for this. Thanks TranscendentElvenRanger for Lucius. I've never seen a pilot before. He had great goals and a great plan to get there that surely would have worked if he hadn't been Reaped.**

 **3rd place: Kuma Swain- Stabbed by Rhoda**

 **Kuma had all his ducks in a row. He was more adult than child and played with the maturity and intelligence that gave him. If he hadn't tried to help Lucius he might have been able to kill or injure Rhoda, but she had a longer reach and more training, so it would have been hard. Thanks YesmyLordCiel for Kuma. He was a great family man.**

 **From the start I thought Rhoda or Shane would win. By now I knew it wouldn't be Kuma or Lucius, so I killed them while I think about how to do the finale.**


	48. Worlds Apart

Toby Cash

I made it. I got all the way through without going back. I watched the whole thing and I'd stick it out for another day to give Lucius and Ferrari the memorial they deserved. Then I'd go back. I wanted to forget them.

* * *

District Six

We couldn't do anything about Kuma, but what Lucius said was caught on camera. We pooled our pennies and gave him the send-off he'd asked for. It was a wonderful show that night. He lit up the sky like fire. For Ferrari, the best memorial was to live fast and live hard.

* * *

Frankie Disney

Lily knew what she was doing. She just got screwed by the exact wrong Arena. I hoped they were right when they said freezing to death was easy. I couldn't do much about Lucius, but I heard what Kuma said. I'd take care of it.

* * *

District Eleven

What else could we have expected from Lily? She was smart and knew what she had to do, but the Arena made it impossible. They cheated her life away, and we resented it quietly. Kuma's mother didn't have to work anymore. That was what he'd wanted more than anything else. We used to be afraid of Frankie, but maybe we were wrong.

* * *

Shane Donegal

Two cannons in the air. I wasn't as idealistic as I used to be. Those cannons didn't mean Rhoda attacked Kuma or Lucius and succumbed to her wounds. They must have been together. She killed them both and she was coming for me.

I used to be allies with Rhoda. I knew she'd make it far, and I could have called it from the start that she'd win. I heard the way she talked about the Games. For her, they weren't a chance to kill kids or tear people apart and get praise for it. She wasn't in it for the honor. For her, the Games _were_ the honor.

Rhoda loved Panem. I could understand why. It was because Panem loved her. Just like me, she didn't see much outside of her own little world. She saw a District full of luxury and riches, just like I was stuck in a fantasy of warriors and brave battles. She wasn't obsessed with blood and death. I'd seen her laughing and heard the passion in her voice as she talked about making her nation proud. I understood patriotism. The only difference was her country was still around.

I felt like a child next to her. She'd gone into this knowing what she was doing, while I was still floundering around in fantasies. She'd killed so many already. I killed one boy, and he was already wounded. She was determined and capable and passionate. I was afraid.

Everything was stripping away. The Games weren't a chance for me to fight brave battles. I was stupid to ever think that. I wasn't a courageous warrior for volunteering, either. I was an impulsive boy. I thought I knew so much about war and honor and legend. I floundered through the Capitol, playing at what I thought a warrior was like. The Arena stripped all that from me.

People don't fight because they want glory, or because it makes them men, or to defend something meaningless like honor. There was only one reason to fight: because they had to. Because there was no way out and for something so important there wasn't any other option. Maybe they did it to defend someone else, but I couldn't do that here. I'd made the choices that landed me in the Arena. I could try to fool myself that I was fighting Rhoda to remove a heartless menace, but that wasn't her. I was fighting because I didn't want to die. A lot of times, that was why my heroes fought. I wasn't sure if that made me more like them, or just made them smaller.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

I still had my spear. There had only been one telescoping spear in the Cornucopia, and I'd been pulling it out after I killed people. I might have been able to pick Shane off from afar, but I wasn't going to try. The people wanted an epic battle. They deserved it. I wanted to do this right.

 _Don't blow this_. I'd gotten this far, and I didn't want to choke in the home stretch. I couldn't take anything for granted. Looks were as changeable and fickle as smoke. There were a million other girls as pretty as me and plenty that were prettier. Some people thought I was hot stuff, but I'd die the same as anyone else if I screwed this up. I didn't think Shane would last this far, and I had to take him seriously. Getting this far didn't make me immune. It just meant so far I had a perfect record. One black mark, and all the successes didn't matter.

The mountain groaned softly, and a pile of snow broke off across the slope. The snow rolled down the mountain, and the balls left trails as they grew bigger. They rolled out of sight, and a few minutes later another tremor shook the same spot. The divots in the snow slanted down like an arrow. It had been a few hours since I started looking for Shane, and it seemed the Gamemakers were impatient. Before I followed the marker, I looked up and addressed the outside of the Arena.

"Hey, everyone. Whatever happens, I gave you my all. Thanks so much for everything. It's been great. I've been honored to be a part of it. Long live Panem."


	49. Actual Finale

**Say what you gotta say in the reviews or PMs. It's okay to be upset and I won't be mad. Sometimes you gotta vent.**

* * *

Shane Donegal

When I saw her, I felt a chill as cold as the Arena. There was still blood on Rhoda's sword. She would have left it there on purpose. Not out of malice, but because that's how the game is played. She stopped some distance away, the tip of her sword slicing a fine line in the snow. Her lip curled in amusement.

"I'd have pegged you for something more badass, like a stag," she said, nodding at the spiral on my cheek. I didn't know what to say. I wished I had something witty and that I wasn't so scared.

"I didn't think you'd be the last one," Rhoda said. "Guess I was wrong about a lot of things."

"So was I," I said.

"You ready for this? Let's show them what Panem's made of," Rhoda said. She'd never looked so vibrant. Her face was blackened with frostbite and her hair was frizzed, but she looked like she was where she'd always wanted to be. She was a glamorous and dangerous as her District.

She had the advantage in weapons. A sword could cut a shillelagh. A shillelagh wasn't going to break a sword as strong as hers. A single cut from a sword could disable or kill. I wasn't going to do crippling damage with one blow unless I hit her head, and she'd be defending that more than anything. She was more focused and determined. She had all Panem behind her. She ran at me with both caution and assurance, and I hoped I was ready.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

The first order of business was to get rid of Shane's weapon. How the boy got so far with a _stick_ was beyond me. But a stick wasn't a match for metal. Once I broke that, his reach would be gone. He wouldn't be able to get away before I finished it.

Shane swung his stick out at me as I approached. I stopped and leaned back so it swept by my stomach. I'd wanted to see it in action. I needed to know how fast he swung it, and I could sense from the proximity how much force each blow had. He stuck the end out at my middle and I jumped back another step. He was faster than I'd expected. I didn't go any closer. I could afford to fight from farther away. It was ideal, even. I was aiming for his weapon, not for him. Not yet.

* * *

Shane Donegal

I was fighting defensively. I hadn't noticed it until after Rhoda struck at me twice. I wasn't striking out and trying to get closer like I used to. I was fighting smarter, despite myself. Maybe I'd learned something from the Arena.

Rhoda was driving me back as she hit out at me. I heard the metallic ting in the air as her sword sliced past my face. I tried to look for an opening, but it was all I could do not to get stabbed. Rhoda's hair swished as she parried and thrust. The air got warmer as we stood close together.

It was what I'd wanted. This was a real, drag-down, life-or-death duel. I felt the same shift I'd felt earlier, when my body acted before my brain had decided to defend Violet. Instincts and reflexes seemed more important than thought. I understood what the stories meant by 'the heat of battle'.

Rhoda's sword came up in a blazing strike at my head. I acted without thinking, and reflexes did me wrong. I brought up my shillelagh to defend my head. Her sword sliced into it and through it like paper. Half of it fell to the ground, and she wound up to swing again.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

I smiled wide when the half-stick clattered on the ice. I drew back my sword for the finishing blow. As I pulled it back, Shane ran at me and wrapped his arms around me like a bear hug. I had to give it to him. That was the only thing he could have done to save himself. He was now much closer to a very angry girl holding a sword, but he forestalled the inevitable by getting so close to me that I couldn't get the angle for a devastating strike. It didn't stop me from biting him on the neck, though. As he raised one arm to shove me off, I twisted and stuck a leg out between his. He fell to the ice and I stepped back. I raised the sword to finish what I'd started. No more stalling for him.

* * *

Shane Donegal

I landed hard and twisted from my side to my back to get up. Rhoda was above me, and she brought her sword speeding down toward me. I winced inside as I did the only thing I could. Her sword bit into my hand down to the bone as I grabbed the blade. It didn't hurt as much as it might have, since my hand was half frozen, but it still hurt like hell. I was just glad I had the presence of mind to grab with my left hand.

I pushed the blade down toward the ice. Rhoda was so surprised she shifted forward off-balance. She yanked her sword out, twisting it sideways as she did so it would cut me even more. I let go and reached out with both hands, wrapping them around her leg. I yanked it and she fell onto her back, her sword clacking against the ice beside her. She kicked me in the face as I pulled her toward me. My hand was useless, but I wrapped my arm around her leg and pulled. I reached out for the broken end of my shillelagh as I pulled. Rhoda brought up her arm to slash across my face. I reared back and the force of the blow pulled her to her side. As she struck, my hand found the stone on the broken end of my weapon.

I tried to think of something that would make it meaningful. I was wrong about so much, but I knew the stories had meaning. Being a warrior meant something. I wanted to know what it was. I thought of heroes from long ago, and of Rain, and the reason they were important, and somewhere in there, I found it.

* * *

Rhoda Hamilton

The stone in Shane's fist smacked into my head like a hammer. I heard the crunch and my face shifted. My skin stung and felt like it was sloughing off. Spots flashed in my eyes and I brought my arm up drunkenly. As Shane pulled back to hit again, I smacked the sword into his side. It didn't have as much force as I wanted, but it gashed all down his body. I pushed the blade in and sawed at him until he pushed my arm down with his and pinned it to the snow. I pushed him back with my other arm,but my grip faltered at the second blow. One of my eyes went dark, and my arms fell flat.

 _I must look a sight_. I wasn't going to be the face of Panem anymore. I got my arms up to shield my head, but not before Shane got another blow in. My arms didn't shield my head as much as fall across it. Blood from Shane's arm sprayed me as he flexed it to strike, and it mingled with the blood leaking from my head.

The people deserved the best. It looked like I'd been wrong about one more thing. I wanted them to have the best. I wanted it to be me, but things were looking different.

I could see myself in Shane's rock as he held it up over me. I let one arm fall from my face and looked up at him. Shards of teeth pricked me when I opened my mouth and smiled.

"Do Panem proud," I said.

* * *

Shane Donegal

She was dead. The battle was over. I was only happy about one of those things.

It wasn't the tragedy of a lost ally that gave this meaning. Rain wasn't a character meant to die to further my story. I didn't finally see the glory in battle or the triumph in vanquishing a child killer. I only found the meaning.

There was only one reason to start a fight, and that was to end a fight. Nobody wanted war. War was the last painful resort. Starting a fight was the realm of brutes and glory-seekers. It was only worthwhile to end a fight, not to start one. Warriors made jokes and acted light because they knew how awful it was to fight. They were only brave when they had to be. I wasn't like that when I came into this. I was a bragging, thoughtless boy. Now, I was something closer to a man.

I didn't listen to the Anthem and the announcer. The fight was over. Their statements and songs weren't anything. I brushed Rhoda's hair out of her face so she'd look nice when the hovercraft came. They'd better do right by her. She loved them more than anyone deserved.

There were things worth fighting for. If the time came, I hoped I'd be brave enough to act. But more than that, I hoped I wouldn't have to. That was what made warriors great. They did what no one else wanted to, and only when they had to.

* * *

 **2nd place: Rhoda Hamilton- Head smashed by Shane**

 **From the start I thought it would be Rhoda or Shane. I made a note that whichever I decided to kill, I'd do it before second place. They were both possible winners, and I didn't want to build up someone's hopes to yank them out right at the end. I regret that I wrote the deaths in a way that put them together at the end. I saw it coming and was afraid it would happen, but I have no one to blame but myself, since I wrote it. You all probably gathered that this ending took a long time to solidify, and I was almost as stressed as you.**

 **Rhoda was one of the most realistic Careers I've ever gotten. A lot of time, I get Careers that understand the value of life and don't really enjoy killing. Rhoda wasn't cruel or homicidal, but she most accurately showed what someone from One would think about Panem and the Games. She was a patriot manufactured by the Capitol. I didn't consider her a villain. Her morality was just altered by everything she knew. She was an authentic and well-designed Career. I would have been happy to have her as a Victor. Thanks Tracelyn and I'm sorry it happened like this. Rhoda did Panem proud.**

 **Victor: Shane Donegal**

 **I've never had such a deep and passionate split among readers. Some people loved Shane, some hated him, and the same went for Rhoda. It made it nigh impossible to determine a Victor. What tipped me was that a few people said to follow my heart. I liked them both, but following my heart meant picking Shane. There were a lot of complicated reasons for that.**

 **From the start, I liked Shane. I looked at his form, and something grabbed me** **(Also, he actually wasn't made for Four. Eleven was the initial request. I should have thought before I put him into Floki's District. It was just what was open)** **. Jayman wrote under development "He goes from a chill kid to an Irish warrior, and possibly back again". That's what I worked for from the start. He was unpopular at first because he goofed around and didn't seem to know what he was. He _didn't_ know he was. He was an immature kid with big dreams and a crazily deluded vision of the Games. But he matured, and that's what I loved. First he thought he was some badass warrior. Then he grew up a little and decided he'd make something of himself and defend the innocent. Then he grew up some more and finally learned what it was to be a warrior. He went in a boy and came out a man, and that's what I loved.**

 **I also liked Shane because he paralleled his submitter. I don't exactly favor loyal submitters, but I do keep an eye on how long they've been trying. Mostly I don't want someone who's submitted 25 times to have no winners. Jayman has been developing like Shane ever since he started submitting. His first submission was Jay Dallas. He was a nice boy, he really was, he just didn't have much substance beyond that. So I killed him... thrice, sort of. Jayman was wildly enthusiastic and doggedly determined in his submissions. He was so eager I came to hope he'd send a Tribute that fit my Victor needs. I wanted him to get one, but I kept having to kill his submissions because they fell short one way or another. But he kept trying, and he got better each time. He asked for suggestions and put so much work into improving. This time, finally, he sent me a winner, and I was happy. Shane had Jayman's spirit, but he had substance and flaws that made him worthy to win. He wasn't a sure bet, and it could well have been someone else, but he made it. Shane deserved it not because of his submitter, but I'm very happy he had the submitter he did.**

 **I only know one Gaelic phrase:** **Tiocfaidh ár lá. It's so perfect, since I learned it from Ger McDonnell, an Irish mountaineer. It means "our day will come". It's an old Irish saying, and it was his motto during many unsuccessful attempts on K2. He died there, but not before reaching the top and becoming the first Irish summitter. I was hoping I'd get a chance to use it. I had to Google this, so it might not be correct. Jayman, Tá ár lá againn.**


	50. Coronation

Shane Donegal

They didn't tell about what really happened after battle. I always thought the survivors- I never thought of the ones who died- went out drinking and partying and had a wonderful time swapping stories. Really, it was like the battle hadn't ended yet in my head.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was something touching my arm, trying to stab me. I dug my fingers into and yanked it off me. It already had its knife into me and it slashed me as it came out. Blood sprayed everywhere and an alarm started shrieking. Two doctors came in and I jumped off the bed and behind it, pushing it between us as a barrier until I saw who they were. When I saw it was them, the girl attacking me with a knife became what it really was: an IV on a metal stand. I stared at it and shivered as they reinserted the needle and stemmed the blood.

They didn't let me see Jonah for a long time after that, but even when I finally did, my mind still

hadn't stopped. The air buzzed with noise that wasn't any louder than normal, but seemed so much more urgent to me. My arms itched to fly up to my face, defending me from an attack no one was making. My heart raced, even when I was sitting still.

Jonah warned me about the stylists, and he was right. They did the same thing they always did, but it was different. They crowded around me and hindered my escape. I kept my eye on the exit as they worked, in case I had to run. They dressed me in their idea of an ancient warrior. The chain mail was all wrong and I was honestly perplexed when I saw my face. They hadn't messed me up too much in recovery- they just made my eyes greener and my blonde-red hair redder. What caught me by surprise was the paint. The random blue patterns and symbols on my face and arms were a meaningless mishmash with no order or reason.

Caesar didn't seem as nervous this time around. Maybe it was because he only had one Tribute to worry about, and I wasn't pregnant. I jumped when he announced me, and he played it up like I was putting on a show for the crowd.

"Was it everything you hoped for?" Caesar asked.

"It was more," I answered.

"You must be sorry it's over. Now you have no one to fight," Caesar said.

"That's all right. I think I'm fought out for a while," I said.

"Maybe you can train up some warriors of your own," Caesar said.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll sit around and eat bonbons," I said. Caesar laughed uproariously so the crowd felt obligated to laugh along.

"What a card! Let's see some replay," Caesar said. I didn't see the point. Everyone had already seen it once. I knew everyone else died, even the ones I didn't see. I didn't want to look at Rhoda during the final battle, so I focused on myself instead. I thought it would be hard, but it was actually exhilerating. Now that I was on the outside looking in, I looked epic. I looked just like the stories.

When the Anthem blared, I jumped up reflexively. I sheepishly sat back down and waited awkwardly while President Snow came down the aisle carrying my crown. I wished I could be on the outside again, watching instead of participating.

My eyes lit up when I saw the crown. I forgot about the nerves and the specters and just gloried in it. I could have looked at it forever, it was so detailed. It was a warrior's helm, made to protect the head and face. It was coppery bronze in color, but it was so decorated it could hardly be called any one color. I recognized the densely packed swirls and inlaid designs from an old book we kept under our coffee table. They were some of the most ancient and revered symbols in our people's history, from another book from so long ago even the legends mentioned it. Facing me, etched and lined in blue and filled in with gold and colored designs, was a single letter- an S. It curled in on and over itself and tied it in knots, and thin blue tendrils arced away from it. It was a piece of the legends come to life.

* * *

 **Just one more chapter, maybe two if I do a Victory Tour, and we'll be done here.**

 **For the first time, you can see exactly what one of the crowns looked like. A little research told me Ireland's crown jewels were stolen and didn't have an actual crown, so I had to get more creative. Shane's crown is an adaptation of one page of the Book of Kells, probably the most important book in Ireland's history. I'm not sure what the page says (other than a really big, really pimped-out "s"), but it looks like this:**

 **s-medi g 236x/75 /72/bf/757 2bfcc a2abd4ac246 30210d7812 225.j pg**

 **I'll try to make it the story picture, but it might be harder to see when it's that small.**


	51. Epilogue

Peridot Clarity

Screw that. Screw Shane. Whiny little leprechaun, whining about having to kill when he volunteered to do it. Angels watch out for drunkards and simpletons, that was for sure. Normally I'd be glad at least a Career won, but I didn't want people associating him with us. Onyx was an odd duck, so I didn't feel much for him, but Rhoda was a star. She was the exemplification of the Capitol and the Games. She got robbed.

* * *

District One

None of us had ever heard of Onyx. We weren't even sure how he got Reaped, since when we looked at the ledgers, his name wasn't there. Something strange was going on, but stranger things have happened. There were riots in One as people tore down posters of Rhoda and fought over them. Two would-be lovers attempted suicide and anything with her name or face on it became priceless memorabilia. For this year at least, we didn't hate Two as much as Four.

* * *

Shane Donegal

Erwin knew a good tattoo shop. We weren't sure it would still be open after so many years, but people live a long time in the Capitol. The artist there had all sorts of high-tech wizardry. He was disappointed when I told him what I was looking for, but he had it. He kept it in a display case with other museum-age pieces, but he took it out for me. He smeared blue ink on the spiky mallet-like instrument and started tapping designs into my skin.

We were there all day. The designs I wanted weren't large or complex, but I needed four of them. First there was a dolphin on one shoulder. Then, for a girl I may have fought but still respected, there was a Panem insignia on the other. Last of all came my symbols. There was a ken rune, symbol of a warrior, on one cheek. It pointed toward the other side of my face, which held a three-pronged spiral, the symbol of growth. The spiral was bigger than the rune, since I was still growing. Everyone said they looked great, and I did look pretty cool.

The Victory Tour got off to a terrible start. One was the only District I was dreading, and of course it was first. I heard the screams and jeers before I even got off the train. I had to leave in a special pod and have Peacekeepers escort me into a bulletproof cage, where I delivered a very short and very flattering speech.

Two wasn't as bad. They were mad that I killed Jason, but they weren't as furious. Two was the fighting District, after all. They wanted to win, but they thought whoever won must by definition be a pretty cool dude. I wished Tuesday could have been there, snapping shots and getting quotes.

I never had any interaction with Gidget or Quinn, so that was an easy one. The people were as flat and unemotional as ever. They obediently listened to the speech and then went back to invent cold fusion or whatever they were doing.

The Five speech was almost as short as the One speech. The people there couldn't leave their posts long. Nobody wanted a nuclear meltdown because some Capitolite was droning on for hours. They were as eager to get back to their jobs as I was to leave, so everyone was happy.

Someone threw a stink bomb at me in Six. I hazarded a guess it was one of Ferrari's friends. I yelled and pointed off in a different direction so the Peacekeepers rampaging through the crowd might get distracted. I got hustled back into the train pretty quickly, and I hoped no one got killed for the stunt.

The people in Seven were actually happy to see me. That was refreshing. Every District was required to throw a banquet for me, but they were actually enthusiastic about it. We had pancakes and delicious syrup and bacon. They must really work hard to not all be fat.

I had to give a long speech in Eight. They wanted to balance things out and put on a good show. I never met Eddin or Martha, so it was pointless. They just made me talk longer there because nothing bad happened if the sewing factories shut down a few hours.

They did the same thing to me in Nine. They dragged all the people out and made them listen to a boring speech when they just wanted to mourn their dead and not think about the coming year. The only bright side was that I learned just how many kinds of bread there were in the world.

Everything was going fine in Ten until someone's cow got out and meandered through the crowd. The people hustled it back into its pen like champs. It was so mundane I didn't even stop my speech while they were doing it.

Eleven looked rough. I wasn't as bad as Rhoda, but I never knew people had it so bad in the outer Districts. They were dressed in rags and some of them sat down instead of standing through the whole speech. Since I killed Kuma's killer, they were less unhappy than they probably usually were, though.

I didn't want a feast in Twelve. Those people were skeletons. They needed all that food for themselves. They didn't even seem happy or sad about the whole thing. They were too tired for emotion.

My heart leaped when I saw the ocean in the train window. I'd almost forgotten how water could stretch out forever. I'd been in cold so long I'd convinced myself I'd only ever imagined the air could be warm enough that I didn't need a coat. Stepping back into my District was like walking into a warm shower. My speech was mostly about Rain. I skimmed my eyes over it and said the words without reading them. I didn't want to cry right when I got home.

Everything was so quiet in the Victor's Village. My parents came over almost every day, but when they left, it was quiet. There were no cannons in the night and no anthems blaring when you least expected it. After living in such an extreme environment, it was uncanny how easy it was in the Village. I spent a lot of time lounging around and reading storybooks. I would have thought I wouldn't like stories like that anymore, but it was nice to read about a simpler view on fighting. I still pretended I was with them. The battles in my head were just sanitized and condensed. I skipped the killing parts and focused on the bravery.

I hung my shillelagh in two pieces over my bed. If I ever needed it, it would be there, ready for me to fix and use. I didn't think I'd ever have to. I hoped I could be a one-time, retired warrior. After the Games, there were no battles. It would take a lot to get me up and fighting again. But if it ever got that bad, I was ready.

* * *

 **It is a relief to have finished this story. That was the most emotional and contentious Games I've ever written. I never knew a Hunger Games SYOT could nearly start World War III. But I'm happy for Shane, happy I wrote this story, and glad to forge forward and write some more. But first, there's some other business I must address.**

 **I bet you thought you'd seen the last of Rhoda. NOPE. She's back, WITCHES. The reason this finale was so difficult was because I just plain got two Victors this time. It's the first time that's ever happened. I had to pick one, but that left another worthy Victor out. Had Rhoda been in a different story, she would have won, and it drove me nuts she got ripped off like that. SO... I decided to make it up to her. I spent days trying to think of a way. I hatched crazy schemes involving two Victors or one of them escaping the Arena. But at last, it came to me.**

 **Rhoda's crazy popular in the Capitol. It would be like if Kate Moss went into the Games. She's so popular, they want her back. The powers that be were sympathetic because Rhoda is an ideal citizen in their eyes. Blah blah blah, details, there's going to be another Calvary Road-type story. I'll be writing Rhoda's story quick before I go into the next SYOT. I already have some reservations, so go ahead and reserve now so the forms will be ready by the time I finish this story. Since it's only Rhoda's story, it won't take long. I'll put up the first chapter of the next SYOT before I start Rhoda's story so people can see the Tribute list. The SYOT will be under Child's Play: The Forty-Third Hunger Games SYOT**


End file.
